William MacLeod was born in Alexandria, Virginia in 1811. He studied art in New York City, first exhibiting at the American Art Union, and traveled along the Eastern Seaboard learning to paint landscapes in accordance with the Hudson River School tradition. By 1856 MacLeod had moved to Washington, D.C. and served as the first Curator of Painting at the Corcoran Gallery of Art from 1873-1889.

He was influential in shaping the institution’s vision and establishing the importance of the role of museum curator in the United States. In his application for the position, MacLeod emphasized his intimate connection with the city of Washington, which underwent a number of significant changes during his lifetime. He witnessed the burning of Washington by the British in 1814 and its growth into the nation’s capital based on the architectural plan of French-American military engineer Pierre Charles L’Enfant.

As the Corcoran Gallery’s first curator and one of the first museum professionals in the United States, Mr. William MacLeod (1811-1892) was a very influential figure in shaping the Corcoran Gallery of Art and establishing the important role of museum curator in America. As a painter himself, MacLeod brought his own artistic creativity and sensibility to his position, a sense that is reflected in the daily accounts and journals he maintained of gallery activities.

Sources:
https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2018/american-art-n09917/lot.54.html

https://www.archives.gov/nhprc/projects/catalog/william-macleod
https://thehillishome.com/2018/05/lost-capitol-hill-william-macleods-painting/