A native of Connecticut, Halleck came to New York in 1811 and became associated with a group of literary men, with one of whom, Joseph Rodman Drake, he wrote in 1819 a series of articles for the New York "Evening Post." His fame was established that year with the publication of "Fanny," a satire on the follies of society. Halleck was later employed as confidential secretary to John Jacob Astor; when Astor died in 1848 he left Halleck an annuity, allowing him to resume his career as an author.

The subject, who was born in Rotterdam, was the third diplomatic representative of the Netherlands to the United States. He was also the resident minister of the Batavian Republic from 1795 to 1802. He remained the rest of his life in America, and is buried in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

The subject was the only daughter of Sidney Edwards Morse (1794-1871) and Catherine (Livingston) Morse of New York. She was the granddaughter of Jedidiah Morse and the niece of Samuel F. B. Morse. She married Charles Herrick, son of Jonathan and Elizabeth Herrick, on October 2, 1862. Once divorced, she used the name Morse, as did her daughter Edna, donor of this portrait.

The subject's father, James Pleasants, was governor of Virginia (1822-26), a U.S. senator (1819-22), and a cousin of Thomas Jefferson. As a young man John Hampden Pleasants practiced law briefly before turning to journalism. By 1823 he was editor of the Lynchburg "Virginian," and the next year he moved to Richmond where he founded the "Whig," which he edited for over twenty years.

Prior painted a number of replicas of Gilbert Stuart's Athenaeum Washington on glass, and made copies of the Athenaeum and Martha Washington to form sets of the likenesses of the first president and first lady.