Fanshaw was active as a painter of miniatures and portraits. A Fanshaw (without given name or initials) was enrolled in the Academy school's antique class for the 1835-36 season; but it is surely Samuel Fanshaw who was enrolled in the school's antique and life classes for 1838-39, and in the life class, only, for 1839-40. In this latter year his registration entry is noted "M[iniature]. Painter," indicating he had already reached the point where a professional designation was warranted.
It is tempting to relate Samuel Fanshaw to the D. Fanshaw who was the printer of the Academy's first constitution issued in December 1826, and the catalogues of its first and second annual exhibitions; and in turn, to connect that D. Fanshaw and Daniel Fanshaw, author of a review of the Academy's second annual exhibition that appeared in The United States Review and Literary Gazette of July 1827, and incorporated the first American explication of the time-honored hierarchy of artistic subject matter. However no detail concerning Samuel Fanshaw's family background is known. The best source of information on his career seems to be the eulogy read at the Council meeting of January 7, 1889.
In his earlier Professional life, he was a prominent member of the group of clever artists, which included Shumway, White, Officer, Cummings, Newcombe and others, who successfully practiced the then favorable and fashionable art of Miniature Painting, and many graceful portraits of ladies and gentlemen from his facile pencil adorned the Academy Exhibitions.
Upon the decline and practical extinction of his charming art, through the advent of the Photograph, he, like others in his special walk, adapted himself to the altered demands of the age and painted, in connection with the new process, but always in the best and highest manner.
Fanshaw's adaptation was most likely working at coloring photographs, an adjustment to the times common among miniaturists. However, he apparently found more than one alternative artistic pursuit to sustain his career. His participation in Academy annuals was erratic: he showed several works nearly every year from 1839 through 1848; then nine years passed before he was next represented in the Annual of 1857; again there was a gap of several years until in 1863 he began again to be a frequent exhibitor until his death. But where he had shown only portraits and miniatures through the 1857 exhibition, from 1863 he showed fruit still lifes and only occasionally portraits.
A strip of canvas bearing the inscription, in block letters, by J. H. Cafferty / 1846 is attached to the mounting board of this painting. This was clearly preserved at some time when the painting was cut down to its present dimensions. The inscription was on the reverse of the painting; it may have been made by Cafferty, but more likely was an early form of labeling applied by an Academy "curator." As the painting was included in the annual exhibition of 1846, and bore this legend it is likely the work was executed and received by the Academy between the annuals of 1845 and 1846, four to five years after Fanshaw's election as Associate. The Council did not make a practice of recording acceptance of diploma works in minutes until mid-century; nor does it seem to have been strict with those Associates elected in the first few years following introduction in 1839 of the requirement to deliver a portrait within one year of election in enforcing the regulation. Thus, the source of this painting would not occasion question were it not for another portrait in the collection which survives without documentary history, but in the earlier twentieth century acquired the identification "Self-Portrait by Samuel Fanshaw." (see Unknown artists, 421-P) The subject of this latter portrait does bear a clear resemblance to Fanshaw as Cafferty presented him, however, there is no reason or record to support there being two portraits of the artist in the collection.
