He also taught a generation of artists at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, where he introduced new techniques for studying and painting the human form. Many of his portrait subjects are from all walks of life in Philadelphia, his lifelong home.
In addition to teaching a new era of artists at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, he developed novel approaches to examining and capturing the human form through art. His portraits often featured individuals from various walks of life in Philadelphia, where he had lived throughout his life.