William Staples Drown was born in Dorchester, MA in 1856 and died on September 24, 1915. He lived and worked in Providence, RI and studied with J. Appleton Clark in Boston, MA. Primarily a marine and landscape painter, Drown is especially recognized for his scenes of streets, farms, orchards, lakes, coasts, and country cottages. Drown was a member of the Providence Art Club and the Providence Watercolor Club. He exhibited with the Boston Art Club in 1880 and 1881.