Rash's Surname Index
Notes for Charles Willson PEALE
PEALE, Charles Willson, artist, was born in Chestertown, Md., April 16, 1741; son of Charles Peale . He attended school in Annapolis, Md., 1750-54; was apprenticed to a saddler, and established himself in that business. His first attempt at painting was a likeness of himself, and his success led him to study under Hesselius, a German painter. He afterward studied under John Singleton Copley in Boston, 1768-69, and in 1770-74 in London under Benjamin West, who painted his portrait. On his return he painted portraits in Annapolis, 1774-75, and in Philadelphia, 1775-1827. Upon the outbreak of the Revolution he was appointed a lieutenant in a company of militia, and was later commissioned a captain. He led his company at the battles of Trenton and Princeton, and was one of the men selected to remove the public stores from Philadelphia when that city was in danger of capture by the British. He was a representative in the state legislature in 1779, and advocated a plan for the gradual abolition of slavery. In 1802 he opened Peale's museum, where he exhibited natural curiosities which ha had collected in his travels, and portraits which he owned or borrowed. He also gave lectures at the museum on natural history, and practised dentistry. He was one of the founders of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, to which he contributed largely. His versatility is shown in the titles of his books, which include: Building Wooden Bridges; Discourse Introductory to a Course of Lectures on Natural History; Epistles on the Means of Preserving Health, and Domestic Happiness. His fame as a portrait painter was national, Washington giving him sittings for fourteen portraits, one of which was painted for the College of New Jersey in 1780. Among his other portraits are those of Hancock, Morris, Steuben, Franklin, Greene, Gates, Jefferson, Hamilton, Monroe, Jackson, Calhoun and Clay. He also painted "Christ Healing the Sick," in 1829, and a full length portrait of himself in 1824, when eighty-three years of age. He left a collection of 269 portraits and historical scenes. His sons, Rembrandt (q.v.) and Raphaelle (1774-1825), were painters of portraits and of still life, and another son, Titian Ramsey (1800-1885) painted animal life, was a learned ornithologist and accompanied Wilkes on his explorations, 1839-42. Charles W. Peale died in Philadelphia, Pa., Feb. 22, 1827.
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