Born in Philadelphia, Sophia Towne Darrah was the daughter of John Henry Towne. The artist's father endowed the "Towne Scientific School" at the University of Pennsylvania in 1876. He was also a prominent collector of "modern" art and so young Sophia grew up surrounded by paintings.

In 1845, Sophia Towne was betrothed to Mr. Robert K. Darrah of Boston and her interest in music (she loved to play the harp) shifted to painting. In 1849, she became a pupil of the painter Paul Weber. She also traveled to Europe to further study the art of the great masters. Interested above all in painting landscapes and seascapes, Darrah was a proponent of plein-air painting.

Biography courtesy of Roughton Galleries, www.antiquesandfineart.com/roughton