James Henry Beard (April 22, 1812 – October 20, 1893) was an American painter who specialized in the genre of portraits.

The son of English and Scottish immigrants, Beard's artistic interest and recognition of his capability took no time to blossom.

It was after the Beard family's relocation to Ohio that he began the serious pursuit of honing his artistic capabilities.

[2] His preferred genre of art was portrait painting; Henry Clay, John Quincy Adams, and Don Quixote are just a few of the figures he chose to depict.

Two years later, his work paid off, as he was inducted into the National Academy of Design.