"Sheldon Peck is acknowledged not only as a very fine folk-art portraitist but also as a radical abolitionist. Ordinarily, those two arenas would not intersect in life, or in a book about the work of a folk artist, however, research about Sheldon Peck and his life support the belief that many of his subjects were also abolitionists. Therefore, his portraits are not only enjoyed and analyzed as art, they are viewed as documentation of regional abolitionist activity. Sheldon Peck: Footsteps of his Life, Noted Folk Artist 1797 - 1868 celebrates the contribution that Sheldon Peck made to the art world. His portraits humanize his subjects in a way that few of his contemporaries could with an attention to detail and an uncanny resemblance to the sitters. The viewer feels the spirit of the sitters as their eyes follow you around the room. " -- back cover