The portrait of George Washington at Princeton, painted in 1779, sold for over 21 million dollars in 2005, marking a significant record for American portraiture. Charles Willson Peale, the artist behind the canvas, maintained a multifaceted professional life that spanned from the battlefields of the American Revolution to the curation of the first major scientific museum in the United States.
Early Pursuits and Artistic Training
Born in Chester in 1741, Peale initially attempted several vocations after completing an apprenticeship with a saddle maker at age 13. He tried his hand at clock repair and metalworking before focusing on painting. His formal instruction included periods under John Hesselius and John Singleton Copley. With financial support from acquaintances like John Beale Bordley, he traveled to the United Kingdom in 1767 to study under Benjamin West for three years, eventually returning to North America to settle in Annapolis, Maryland.
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During the American Revolutionary War, Peale moved to Philadelphia and joined the Sons of Liberty. He served in the Pennsylvania Militia, rising to the rank of captain and participating in the battles of Trenton and Princeton. His civic contributions continued after the conflict, as he served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives between 1779 and 1780. In 1794, he designed the first state seal of Maryland.
The Philadelphia Museum
Peale founded the Philadelphia Museum in 1784, aiming to organize a collection based on Linnaean taxonomy rather than mere curiosities. The institution served as a scientific center, housing botanical, biological, and archaeological specimens. He conducted the first U.S. scientific expedition in 1801, which resulted in the acquisition and mounting of a mastodon skeleton. Despite his efforts, the museum eventually failed due to a lack of sustained government funding and was dispersed after his death in 1827.
Artistic Legacy
Associated with the Neoclassicism movement, Peale was a prolific painter who captured the likenesses of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton. His self-referential work, The Artist in His Museum, remains a notable entry in his portfolio. He also employed advanced visual techniques, such as the trompe-l'œil style seen in his 1795 double portrait, The Staircase Group, which resides in the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Fast facts
- Born: 1741, Chester
- Died: 1827, Philadelphia
- Movement: Neoclassicism
- Notable work: The Artist in His Museum
- Military service: Pennsylvania Militia and Continental Army
- Elected to: American Philosophical Society in 1786
- Burial site: St. Peter's Churchyard
Questions readers ask
What record did Peale's painting of George Washington set?
In 2005, his 1779 portrait Washington at Princeton sold for 21.5 million dollars, the highest price ever paid for an American portrait at that time.
What happened to Peale's museum after he died?
Following his death, the museum was sold to showmen P.T. Barnum and Moses Kimball, who divided the collection.
Achievements
- Notable work: The Artist in His Museum
- Movement: Neoclassicism
