Edward Harrison May was born in Croydon, England in 1824. His family relocated from England to America when May was 10 years old. His father was to begin a pastorate with the Dutch Reformed Church of New York. City May began to study painting with artist Daniel Huntington when he was in his early twenties. Edward was a successful portrait painter at this time and exhibited at the New York Art Union. He moved to Paris in 1851 and his focus shifted to historical painting. May participated in numerous exhibitions in his lifetime. His works were shown at the National Academy of Design, the American Artists Union in, the Paris Salons in, and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts Annual Exhibition.