Rembrandt Peale

Rembrandt Peale ( born February 22, 1778 in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, † October 3, 1860 in Philadelphia ) was an American painter and son of the painter Charles Willson Peale. His most important works include portraits of George Washington (1795 ) and Thomas Jefferson, as well as a portrait of his brother Rubens: Rubens Peale with a Geranium.

Childhood and youth

Peale grew up at the time of the founding of the United States. However, the major political events of this period seem to have little influence on him according to available reports. Influential was rather the artistic environment of his father, a studio and a museum maintained in Philadelphia. Charles Willson Peale took his children's names to the book The Gentleman 's and Connoisseur 's Dictionary of Painters by Matthew Pilkington. The surname of Rembrandt's older surviving siblings Raphaelle and Angelica Kauffmann, the younger Titian Ramsey, Rubens, and Rosalba Carriera Sophonisba Angusciola. Rembrandt Peale shared with his father's interest in music.

1787, the year of the convention in Philadelphia, Rembrandt Peale was able to observe his father with his portrayal of Washington. 1790 his mother died and he left school. 1791 was his first oil painting, a self portrait.

1794 Charles Willson Peale took efforts to establish an Academy of Arts. Although these were not ultimately successful, it nevertheless came to an Exhibition ( Columbian exhibition) under which Rembrandt Peale showed six paintings and offered to sell: In addition to the View of the Lutheran Church on Fire, the portraits of Samuel Buckley Morris, a self-portrait (probably by candlelight ), Portrait of a Young gentleman (possibly a self-portrait of 1791 ) and Portrait of a Gentleman.

1795 Peale had the opportunity to make a portrait of George Washington. To the circumstances, there are several anecdotes, but little reliable knowledge. He took this painting soon after Charleston and made there at least ten copies.

Also went to Charleston Raphaelle Peale was and both benefited from the Charles Willson Peale's connections in this city. They set up an entrance- fee-paying exhibition. The next stop of the brothers was Savannah, but in the summer of 1796, they returned to Philadelphia.

With the support of her father, the brothers opened a museum in Baltimore, which includes paintings and stuffed animals exhibited various curiosities. During this time, Rembrandt Peale painted several paintings, but the museum had to be sold after a short time.

1798 Rembrandt Peale tried to establish the exhibition in New York, but failed and soon returned to Philadelphia where he soon married and then some time Maryland traveled.

1800/1801 Peale made ​​a portrait of President Jefferson, which became a model for stitches, cartoons and copies by other artists.

1801 Peale was involved in the excavation of two mammoths, which was operated by his father. On the reconstruction of the skeletons was next Peale and his father also involved William Rush.

Travel to Europe

The issue of the second skeleton should finance the trip by Rembrandt and Rubens Peale to Europe. The first step in this direction was an exhibition in New York. Here was also the first of three essays that Rembrandt Peale wrote about the discovery: A Short Account of the Behemoth or Mammoth. From New York they traveled to London, where Rembrandt 's account of the Skeleton of the Mammoth, a Non- Descript Carnivorous Animal of Immense Size, Found wrote in America. In addition to the exhibition of the skeleton and other duplicates from the American Museum of continuing the journey by Rembrandt Peale served as a painter. A facilitators was Benjamin West. Also useful was the contact with Joseph Banks. The London exhibition did not bring the necessary funds to - as planned - to travel to other European countries and so the Peale returned to intermediate stations in Reading and Bristol back to America.

1804 presented Peale from the mammoth in various American cities. Then he turned back to the painting. In 1805 he and his father were involved in the establishment of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Peale's desire to see Paris and the Louvre, 1808 reality when his father commissioned him to paint portraits of important French. This first stay in Paris lasted only three months and was dedicated to the old masters and portrait painting.

During his second stay in Paris from October 1809 to November 1810 discovered Peale for the encaustic. For example, his portrait of Alexander von Humboldt is painted in this technique. Other topics in this trip were anatomy studies and history painting.

Only years later, from 1828 to 1830, - after spending time in Baltimore, New York and Boston - Broke Peale and his son Michael Angelo on to Italy. Stations were Naples, Rome, Florence, Milan, Genoa, Parma, Bologna, Ferrara, Venice and other places. Peale admired the Neoclassical art, in his view, the highest form of art. The return journey was over Geneva, Paris and London.

1831 were published Peale's Notes on Italy. 1832/1833 he returned there in England.

Museum in Baltimore

1811 Peale opened an own entrance fee-paying gallery in Philadelphia, where he also exhibited mythological, historical and landscape painting next to portraits. 1812 The Roman Daughter added this gallery. A plagiarism accusation loaded Peale so heavy that he decided to Philadelphia to turn his back and to open a museum in Baltimore.

The museum opened in 1814. Besides the mammoth and many stuffed animals, there was an art gallery. 1816, the museum was equipped with gas lighting, which the number of visitors zugutekam. Peale received in the Baltimore time, numerous commissions for portraits and painted some of his best works. Despite the American prudery and probably also because of the competition of another museum also acts were issued. 1817 Peale founded the Baltimore Gas Light Company whose purpose is the city lights were. 1822 took over Rubens Peale Museum and Rembrandt Peale left the city.

Later years

1836 died Peale's wife. In 1840 he remarried and became involved at the Central High School of Philadelphia. There was a publication called Graphics, which through several editions and was constantly expanded.

Peale gave lectures about his Washington Portrait and any copies of it.

In 1860, he suffered a heart attack. He died surrounded by his daughters and his wife.

Works

• John Witherspoon, 1794, oil on canvas, 88.9 x 76.2 cm, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC Copy of a portrait of John Witherspoon (1723-1794) by Charles Willson Peale painted, on behalf of the widow Witherspoon
• George Washington, 1795, oil on canvas, 38.7 x 28.9 cm, Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia Peale made ​​numerous copies of this painting to
• Thomas Jefferson, 1800, oil on canvas, 58.7 x 48.9 cm, The White House, Washington, DC The to 1805 best known and most copied portrait of the third American president
• Rubens Peale with a Geranium, 1801, oil on canvas, 71.8 x 61 cm, National Gallery of Art, Washingtion, DC The painting was created during the preparations for the trip to London by Rembrandt and Rubens Peale
• Joseph Banks in 1803, oil on canvas, 71.1 x 58.4 cm, Library, The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia The picture was taken during the London residence of Rembrandt Peale
• Gilbert Stuart, 1805, oil on canvas, 59.7 x 49.4 cm, The New York Historical Society, New York City In this painting, both Charles Willson Peale and Rembrandt Peale worked
• Napoleon Bonaparte, 1810, oil on canvas, 66 x 53.3 cm Since it was not Napoleon model, Peale had to rely on observations made during public appearances Napoleon
• Harper 's Ferry, 1811, watercolor, 25.4 x 33 cm, The Baltimore City Life Museum, Maryland On the basis of watercolor painting was an oil
• The Roman Daughter, 1811, oil on canvas, 215.3 x 159.7 cm, National Museum of American Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC The painting was of Peale advertised as a historical painting "as large as life"
• Court of Death, 1820, oil on canvas, 350.5 x 713.7 cm, The Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan The painting was part of Peale's efforts to pay off the debt from his museum
• Patriae Pater ( George Washington), 1824, oil on canvas, 176.5 x 133.4 cm, United States Senate Collection, Washington, DC Model for at least 75 copies in oil and a number of lithographs
• Washington before Yorktown, 1824, oil on canvas, 91.4 x 73.7 cm, private collection In addition to Washington are Lafayette, Alexander Hamilton, Henry Knox and Count Rochambeau mapped
• Judith with the Head of Holofernes, 1830, oil on canvas, 140.5 x 112.1 cm, The Art Museum, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey The painting is a copy of the image from Cristofano Allori
• Girl at the Window ( Rosalba Peale, The Burgomaster 's Daughter ), 1846, oil on canvas, 76.2 x 63.5 cm, El Paso Museum of Art, Texas The painting was created after an original by Rembrandt van Rijn