' s ▁cha ise ▁man uf actory . ▁In ▁the ▁Boston ▁area , ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁student ▁of ▁Gilbert ▁Stuart . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁The ▁Atlantic ▁Month ly ▁described ▁him ▁as ▁" a ▁portrait ist ▁of ▁talent ", ▁adding ▁that ▁Stuart ▁is ▁quoted ▁as ▁having ▁said ▁of ▁one ▁of ▁Fro thing ham ' s ▁head ▁port ra its , ▁" No ▁man ▁in ▁Boston ▁but ▁myself ▁can ▁paint ▁so ▁good ▁a ▁head ," ▁and ▁that ▁Fro thing ham ▁was ▁greatly ▁helped ▁by ▁Stuart ' s ▁critic isms ▁and ▁encourag ement , ▁although ▁initially ▁his ▁N est or ▁had ▁ad vised ▁him ▁to ▁adopt ▁another , ▁less ▁prec ari ous ▁means ▁of ▁ear ning ▁a ▁liv elihood . ▁ ▁The ▁Atlantic ▁noted ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁detailed ▁portrait ▁of ▁Samuel ▁D ex ter ▁by ▁Fro thing ham ▁in ▁the ▁Harvard ▁Memorial ▁Hall , ▁in ▁which ▁D ex ter , ▁we aring ▁a ▁white ▁w ig ▁and ▁a ▁red ▁clo ak ▁at op ▁a ▁black ▁coat , ▁holds ▁a ▁book ▁in ▁his ▁hand , ▁and ▁appears ▁lost ▁in ▁med itation , ▁saying ▁the ▁flesh ▁color ing ▁in ▁the ▁painting ▁is ▁rather ▁dry ▁and ▁par ch ment - like , ▁but ▁overall , ▁the ▁color ▁is ▁harm on ious . ▁Dun lap ▁noted ▁that ▁heads ▁dep icted ▁by ▁James ▁Fro thing ham ▁were ▁painted ▁with ▁great ▁truth , ▁freedom , ▁and ▁excell ence . ▁ ▁He ▁painted ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁li ken esses ▁in ▁S alem , ▁including ▁the ▁wealth y ▁merchant