A Life in Likeness: The Itinerant World of Nelson Cook Nelson Cook, born in the quiet hamlet of Malta, New York, in 1808, was a painter whose life echoed the restless spirit of his era. He wasn’t a product of formal academies or established patronage; instead, he forged his path as a self-taught portraitist, traversing the burgeoning landscapes of the northeastern United States and Canada with brush and canvas in hand. Cook's story is one of quiet perseverance, artistic dedication, and an ability to capture not just the *appearance* of his subjects, but something of their inner character—a f…