Anna Claypoole Peale (March 6, 1791 – December 25, 1878) was an American painter who specialized in

portrait A portrait is a portrait painting, painting, portrait photography, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, Personality type ...

miniatures on ivory and

still life A still life (plural: still lifes) is a work of art depicting mostly wikt:inanimate, inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which are either natural (food, flowers, dead animals, plants, rocks, shells, etc.) or artificiality, m ...

s. She and her sister, Sarah Miriam Peale, were the first women elected academicians of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Early life

Anna Claypoole Peale was born on March 6, 1791, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to

James Peale James Peale (1749 – May 24, 1831) was an American Painting, painter, best known for his miniature and still life paintings, and a younger brother of noted painter Charles Willson Peale. Early life Peale was born in Chestertown, Maryland, ...

(1749–1831) and Mary Chambers Claypoole Peale (1753–1829). Anna was the fourth of six children, and the third daughter. Her siblings were: Jane Ramsay (1785–1834),

Maria Maria may refer to: People * Mary, mother of Jesus * Maria (given name), a popular given name in many languages Place names Extraterrestrial *170 Maria, a Main belt S-type asteroid discovered in 1877 *Lunar maria (plural of ''mare''), large, da ...

(1787–1866), James Jr. (1789–1876), Margaretta Angelica (1795–1882), Sarah Miriam (Sally) (1800–1885) and Eleanor. Anna was the only child to carry the Claypoole name, and used it throughout her career. From a young age Anna watched her father, a

miniature A miniature is a small-scale reproduction, or a small version. It may refer to: * Portrait miniature, a miniature portrait painting * Miniature art, miniature painting, engraving and sculpture * Miniature (chess), a masterful chess game or problem ...

portrait artist, painting in his studio to learn the art form, "hours and hours at a time watching James progress. He took great pains in teaching her, pointing out the peculiar touches that produced his best efforts by giving a charm to the expression". Her entrepreneurial inclinations were evident at the age of 14 when she copied two French landscapes and sold them at auction for a good price. Under her father's guidance, Anna began studying portraiture, and was able to capture viable likenesses of her sitters. Her father was likely encouraged to train Anna by his brother

Charles Willson Peale Charles Willson Peale (April 15, 1741 – February 22, 1827) was an American Painting, painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolu ...

who, with William Rush, co-founded the first American art academy, the

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is a museum and private art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This portrait communicates the artist's pleasure in the act of painting, which is revealed in a lambent play of light on the figure. The subject holds a book on which the artist's name is substituted for the title on the cover. From about 1810, Peale's paintings are generally signed, and as the artist adapted a professional persona, she added the initial ''C'', an acknowledgement of her mother's family, the Claypooles, to her signature. In 1811, at age 20, Anna participated in the first exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, which was also her first major exhibition. There, she exhibited a still life in oils. Three years later, in 1814, she exhibited her first group of three miniatures at the Pennsylvania Academy's annual exhibition, two years after her father showed his last miniatures there. This was a signal to the public that Anna would assume commissions for portrait miniatures that her father would henceforth decline. But these expectations proved to be unrealistic when the War of 1812, fought mainly at sea, moved closer to home. On August 24, British troops marched into Washington, D.C., and within 24 hours systematically torched major government buildings. As the British advanced on Baltimore, the annual exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy had just concluded. Twelve years later, in 1824, Anna and her sister Sarah Miriam became the first women elected as

academicians An academician is a full member of an artistic, literary, engineering, or scientific academy. In many countries, it is an honorific title used to denote a full member of an academy that has a strong influence on national scientific life. In syst ...

to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.

Family

Anna's success in portraiture followed generations of portrait artists in her family.

, her uncle, was an important figure in the introduction of miniature painting in the American colonies. Her father also contributed to the evolution of the practice. Her sisters, Sarah Miriam,

, and Margaretta Angelica Peale were accomplished artists as well: Sarah Miriam as a portrait painter, and Maria and Margaretta Angelica as still life painters. Both Peale brothers believed in pushing their children toward artistic careers. James Peale and Charles Willson Peale both had influential standing in the lives of their children, nieces and nephews. Anna married William Staughton on August 27, 1829, who died in December 1829, in Washington, D.C. After his passing, she returned to Philadelphia to continue her studio portrait practice. Eleven years later, in 1841, she married General William Duncan, and retired from painting shortly thereafter. Anna had no children. She did have four nieces and nephews: Mary Jane Simes (1807–1872), James G. Peale (1823–1891), Washington Peale (1825–1868) and Mary V. Peale (1828–1867).

Career

] The United States experienced an increase in wealth during the 19th century, a change that broadened the clientele for miniatures. In addition, Anna's training under her father was advantageous to her because the miniature craft was traditionally acquired slowly and in a master/apprentice capacity. The gracefully precise portrait of ''Little Girl'', an 1817 watercolor on ivory, was one of several works that launched Anna Claypoole Peale's reputation, circa 1817. The figure appears in an atmospheric background that is unlike the cloudy skies typical of neoclassical portrait miniatures. Rather than exploring the translucency of the ivory to render skin tones, Peale used dark rich colors and glazing to resemble the effect of oil paints, and this became the hallmark of her style. Some of Anna's notable sitters included President

James Monroe James Monroe ( ; April 28, 1758July 4, 1831) was an American statesman, lawyer, diplomat, and Founding Father who served as the fifth president of the United States from 1817 to 1825. A member of the Democratic-Republican Party, Monroe was ...

and President

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

, Senator and Colonel

Richard Mentor Johnson Richard Mentor Johnson (October 17, 1780 – November 19, 1850) was an American lawyer, military officer and politician who served as the ninth vice president of the United States, serving from 1837 to 1841 under President Martin Van Buren ...

, as well as an ambassador, scientists, and theologians. Numerous men and women from Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, Washington and Richmond Virginia, including many businessmen and their wives, also became sitters. Peale sometimes exhibited under the names Mrs. Staughton and Mrs. Duncan as well as Anna Claypoole Peale.

Early career

Anna was noted as someone who applied herself to her work with diligence and ambition. She developed a degree of precision in her work which enabled her to contribute to supporting her parents James and Mary. As early as 1805, at age 14, she sold her first paintings, which were two oil paint reproductions of Vernet landscapes, earning her $30—a considerable sum at the time. Along with Anna's dedication, her uncle Charles Willson Peale assisted in her early career. He promoted her potential for commercial success, and sought commissions for her. Charles once said, “Her merit in miniature painting brings her into high estimation, and so many Ladies and Gentleman desire to sit for her that she frequently is obliged to raise her prices.” Anna's brother also assisted her in her early success by accompanying her on her trip to Boston.

Subject matter and style

Anna Claypoole Peale was known to have painted at least one hundred and forty miniatures, still lifes, landscapes and portraits in oils. Anna's style was influenced by her father, who taught her how to skillfully blend pigments to control color density with watercolors on ivory. However, she adjusted this technique to develop her own style. Another familial influence on Anna's work most likely came from her cousin, Titian Ramsay Peale (1780–1798). When she was a small child, Titian was researching and writing about techniques for transferring images onto ivory. After examination, it was found that Anna used similar techniques on her own paintings to help watercolor adhere to ivory. Praise for her miniature work started as early as 1812, though she didn't exhibit until 1814. Most critiques focused on her adept abilities with color and capturing a sitter's likeness. From 1817 to 1818 Anna experienced much success in her career. This period is marked by a work now owned by PAFA titled ''Mme. Lallemand.'' This commissioned portrait of Harriet Girard Lallemand in 1818 was a stepping stone for Anna into a successful career as a portrait artist. As is common in her style, this work is mainly respected for its mastery of color; “heightened by the transparent blue shadows of reflected color under the chin that give definition to the features”. In 1818, Charles Willson Peale wrote to his son

Rembrandt Peale Rembrandt Peale (February 22, 1778 – October 3, 1860) was an American artist and museum keeper. A prolific portrait painter, he was especially acclaimed for his likenesses of presidents George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. Peale's style w ...

about Anna's work, “I saw one miniatureshe had done of a gentleman in which the colouring was of superior excellence”. A rose in the sitter's hair became a motif in Anna's work during the 1820s. In the summer of 1818, Anna had to take a break because of severe inflammation of her eyes. However, she returned to painting the following November.

Washington

In November 1818, Anna accompanied her aging uncle Charles Willson Peale and his wife Hannah Peale on a painting expedition to Washington, D.C. The mission of this trip was to promote Anna's “potential for commercial success,” to seek commissions and to produce portraits to send back to Philadelphia to be put on exhibition at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. John Wayles Eppes (1773–1823), Thomas Jefferson's son-in-law, was one of the prominent men who visited the Peales' studio in Washington. He asked her to paint a miniature of him, and suggested that Charles Willson Peale time his sittings with hers. On April 7, 1819, Anna had returned to Philadelphia from Washington and was deluged with work. She wrote to her cousin Titian Ramsay Peale (1799–1885): "I have so much work to do that I hardly know what to do with myself and am looking out the window...While sitting at my painting this afternoon--Mr. Sully came down to give us tickets and invitations from Mr. Calhoun to attend his anatomical lectures as relating to the arts--Sally arah Miriam Pealeand myself ... were much interested in a lecture on the human skull." Between mid-November 1818 and February 1819, Anna and her uncle both painted portraits of President James Monroe (1759–1831) in the White House during his presidency. The locations of these paintings are currently unknown. During their time in Washington, Anna and Charles also had the opportunity to paint the portrait of Major General

(1767–1845), who later became the seventh president of the United States. Anna's portrait of Jackson is now housed at Yale University Art Gallery in New Haven, Connecticut. She positioned Jackson low on the ivory against a turbulent, cloud-filled sky, handled like a theatrical backdrop evoking past battles. When she painted the miniature in 1819, Jackson as making a sweep though the country, hailed as a hero. While attending President Monroe's New Year's levee, Anna continued to expand her clientele for commissions. Anna accompanied Kentucky Senator Colonel

to the levee. The colonel later sat for one of her portraits. After the levee, Anna boarded with Reverend Obadiah Brown (1779–1852) and his wife Elizabeth, and produced portrait miniatures of them as well.

Late career

Between 1819 and 1829, Anna produced numerous miniatures. In a letter Anna wrote to

Titian Ramsay Peale II Tiziano Vecelli or Vecellio (; 27 August 1576), known in English as Titian ( ), was an Italian ( Venetian) painter of the Renaissance, considered the most important member of the 16th-century Venetian school. He was born in Pieve di Cadore, ne ...

in April 1819, she explained that she had been given tickets by

Thomas Sully Thomas Sully (June 19, 1783November 5, 1872) was a portrait painter in the United States. Born in Great Britain, he lived most of his life in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He painted in the style of Thomas Lawrence. His subjects included nationa ...

to attend 15 anatomical lectures by Mr. Calhoun with her sister Sarah Miriam. This series of anatomical studies assisted her already successful portrait work in the decade to follow. In 1820, Anna painted a portrait of her cousin Rembrandt Peale's daughter, Rosalba Peale. The miniature of Rosalba was an experiment to break away from oval miniatures and work with a three quarter, half-length pose with props of tables and drapery. This increase in size makes the familial controversy that surrounded the creation of this work even more curious. Anna's portrait of Rosalba was intended to be a gift to a married couple, the Robinsons. However, after hearing this, Charles Willson Peale wrote to his family and questioned the motives of his granddaughter's portrait being given to a married man. Because this portrait does not have the same degree of delicate color work as others Anna was producing at the time, it is suspected that Charles’ letter caused her to leave the painting unfinished. The work was also never given to the Robinsons, but stayed in Anna's studio. Regardless of its possibly unfinished state, this miniature remained an example of the artist's superb handling of color. Mrs

In 1822, Anna completed a portrait of

Rubens Peale Rubens Peale (May 4, 1784 – July 17, 1865) was an American museum administrator and artist. Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of artist-naturalist Charles Willson Peale. Due to his weak eyesight, he did not practice painting seriously until ...

which is regarded as one of the high points of her oeuvre. She completed another portrait of an extended member of the Peale clan in 1824, Abraham Sellers (Rosenbach Museum & Library, Philadelphia). Throughout her later career, Anna continued to exhibit artwork separate from her miniature portrait business. In 1824 Anna exhibited a copy of

Jean-Baptiste Isabey Jean-Baptiste Isabey (11 April 1767 – 18 April 1855) was a French Painting, painter born at Nancy, France, Nancy. He was a successful artist, both under the First French Empire, First Empire and to the diplomats of the Congress of Vienna. L ...

's Miniature Portrait of Napoleon after Isabey. In 1828 she exhibited some of her miniatures at the

Boston Athenaeum Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most ...

. A critic commented on her portrait of ''Mrs. Judson, wife of the Burmese Missionary'': "dress extremely well finished...but the face appeared as if emerging from a murky atmosphere". Then in 1829, she exhibited

Beatrice Cenci Beatrice Cenci (; 6 February 157711 September 1599) was a Roman noblewoman who murdered her father, Count Francesco Cenci. She was beheaded in 1599 after a lurid murder trial in Rome that gave rise to an enduring legend about her. Life Beatri ...

after

Guido Reni Guido Reni (; 4 November 1575 – 18 August 1642) was an Italian painter of the Baroque period, although his works showed a classical manner, similar to Simon Vouet, Nicolas Poussin, and Philippe de Champaigne. He painted primarily religious ...

not only at PAFA, but also, in 1831, at the Boston Athenaeum. After a long career, Anna Claypoole Peale was the last miniature painter in an unbroken line of artists in the Peale family. Her career ended circa 1842, coinciding with the decline of the portrait miniature in the United States.

Death

On Christmas Day, at age 87, Anna Claypoole Peale died in Philadelphia and was buried in

The Woodlands Cemetery The Woodlands is a National Historic Landmark District on the west bank of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia. It includes a Federal-style mansion, a matching carriage house and stable, and a garden landscape that in 1840 was transformed into a ...

Exhibits and awards

*1811 Anna Peale made her first appearance at PAFA, exhibiting a still life in oils. *1814, Anna Peale exhibited her first group of three miniatures at PAFA's spring exhibition. *1818 Anna Peale had critical recognition of her work shown at the PAFA. Afterwards, Charles Willson Peale wrote, "Anna Peale is of the first reputation in her line and has an abundance of sitters”". *In Baltimore on September 30, 1822 was the first advertisement of “FIRST ANNUAL EXHIBITION OF Sculpture, Paintings, Drawings, Engravings, &c.”, an exhibit that Anna's work was included in, as written by Rubens Peale. *1823 Anna Peale exhibited two portraits at the Peale Museum in Baltimore. These two portraits were reproductions of Jean-Baptiste Duchesne's paintings His Lady and Napoleon After Duchesne. *1824 Anna Peale was honored as an academician at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA, US. *1824, Anna Peale showed another reproduction at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, of Jean-Baptiste Isabey's Miniature Portrait of Napoleon after Isabey. *1829, Anna Peale exhibited her painting Beatrice Cenci after Guido Reni at The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and again in 1831 at the Boston Athenaeum.

References

External links

Metropolitan Museum of Art The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...

Anna Claypoole Peale
at the

Smithsonian American Art Museum The Smithsonian American Art Museum (commonly known as SAAM, and formerly the National Museum of American Art) is a museum in Washington, D.C., part of the Smithsonian Institution. Together with its branch museum, the Renwick Gallery, SAAM holds o ...

Anna Claypoole Peale
at the

Philadelphia Museum of Art The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMoA) is an art museum originally chartered in 1876 for the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia. The main museum building was completed in 1928 on Fairmount, a hill located at the northwest end of the Benjamin Fr ...

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Rosenbach Museum The Rosenbach is a Philadelphia museum and library located within two 19th-century townhouses. The historic houses contain the collections and treasures of Philip Rosenbach and his younger brother Dr. A. S. W. Rosenbach. The brothers owned the ...

, Philadelphia {{DEFAULTSORT:Peale, Anna Claypoole American women painters 19th-century American painters Anna Claypoole Sibling artists Artists from Philadelphia 1791 births 1878 deaths Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts alumni 19th-century American women artists Burials at The Woodlands Cemetery