Charles Codman
Charles Codman was a noted American painter. Codman, who lived his entire life in Portland, Maine, was known for his landscape and marine paintings.Career
Codman was apprenticed to the painter, John Ritto Penniman, where he began as a decorative painter with no formal training. He is classified as a limner. He eventually produced more mature works of romanticized landscape views. One of his more important commissions was to paint five fireboards in the landscape style for the Portland mansion of shipbuilder James Deering. He also filled commissions for both portraiture and decorative arts.
In 1827 Codman received the first informed criticism of his work by eccentric and influential writer and critic John Neal. Through his connections Neal was likely most responsible for Codman becoming as established, patronized painter.
Codman died on September 11, 1842 in Portland, Maine. He is buried in Eastern Cemetery.
Today, Codman's work can be found in various museums and institutions such as the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, the Brooklyn Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum.
