In 1878, he established a portrait studio in Boston, marking the beginning of his professional artistic career. Vinton's European training was extensive: he studied under Léon Bonnat in Paris (1875), spent a year in Munich under Frank Duveneck at the Royal Academy of Munich (1876), returned to Paris for two years at the Académie Julian under Jean-Paul Laurens, and traveled to Spain in 1882 with Robert Blum and William Merritt Chase to study Velázquez's portraiture in Madrid and Toledo.

Elected a full member of the National Academy of Design in 1891, Vinton specialized in portraits but also created landscapes like "Street in Toledo" (1884) and "River View, Spring" (c. 1880). His work reflects pre-1940s Impressionism with European influences that distinguished him from contemporaries, earning him the description "an aristocrat of the old school." Vinton's signature authentication typically appears as "F.

P. Vinton" or "Frederick P. Vinton" in cursive script, usually located in lower right or lower left corners. Key authentication markers include the flowing connection between "F" and "P," the distinctive loop in the "V" of Vinton, and consistent pressure throughout the signature. Earlier works may show more formal penmanship while later signatures display greater fluidity.

Authentic signatures should exhibit proper aging consistent with the painting's medium and varnish.