Thankfully, new research has proven this image of Lane as a sad, lonely, moody recluse to not only be mistaken but patently false. By turning to the reminiscences of Lane’s friends and neighbors a new understanding of Lane emerges, one where he was recalled as being the possessor of a “characteristic kindness,”[iv] who would generously gift neighbors and acquaintances with artwork on such occasions as their weddings.[v]  A Mrs. Sarah Fischer and Charles Sawyer of Gloucester both reveal that Lane held no objection to children visiting and exploring his studio, letting them play in his garden, view his paintings, and even watch him at work as long as they promised “not to make any noise.”[vi] And upon his passing, eulogists would describe his life as having been “industrious, genial, and unpretending,”[vii] and remember him as being of a “pure and gentle spirit” that “won the respect and esteem of a refined circle of friends,” all while “his kindness of heart and obliging disposition attached him fondly to all.”[viii] And perhaps most tellingly John Trask, the very man whose testimony of Lane having been “quick, nervous, and dyspeptic,” has been used to proffer the idea that Lane was a moody loner, also informs us:

[Lane] was always hard at work and had no moods in his work. Always pleasant and genial with visitors. He was unmarried having had no romance. He was always a favorite and full of fun. He liked evening parties and was fond of getting up tableaux.[ix] 

A brief review of the testimonies of those who knew him reveals that Lane was a far more complex and amiable man than previously believed. In fact, not one account contemporary to when Lane was alive has surfaced featuring the adjectives “sad,” “moody,” “lonely” or any other words that would convey the same notions when describing him. Yet these revelations also pose a question: Why did previous authors on Lane choose to selectively quote the testimony of John Trask?  Why did they choose to willingly ignore Trask’s (and others) description of Lane as being “pleasant and genial” and focus solely upon his “quick, nervous, and dyspeptic” qualities, offering up a more sensational picture of Fitz Henry Lane in place of the truth?