Born in Buffalo, New York, James Beard was a self-taught artist known for children's portraits, often with domestic pets. His satirical anthropomorphic animal subjects and other humorous topics were much in contrast to prevalent sentimentality.

At age 11, he moved with his family to Painesville, Ohio, where he was raised and where his artist brother, William Holbrook, was born. From 1834 to 1870, James lived in Cincinnati, Ohio, and then moved back to New York State for the remainder of his life. He was in the Union Army during the Civil War.

One of James' early pieces showing poor people realistically was startling and successful, and encouraging to him as subject matter.

James had artist children including illustrators Daniel Carter Beard, 1850 -1941; James Carter Beard, 1837-1913; Frank Beard, 1842-1905; and Henry Beard, dates unknown, painter and designer.