Charles Peale Polk
Encyclopedia
Charles Peale Polk was a renowned American
portrait
painter and the nephew of artist Charles Willson Peale
.
, to Elizabeth Digby Peale and Robert Polk. At age eight or ten (sources vary on the exact age), after being orphaned, he was sent to Philadelphia to live with his uncle and study art. He was married by the time he was eighteen and Philadelphia was his permanent residence. By the time he was in his twenties, Polk was advertising himself as a portrait artist in Baltimore
newspapers. He was apparently not at all successful since he returned to Philadelphia within a matter of a couple years, advertising his services as a house and sign painter. But he continued his artistic pursuits, and by 1800 he had opened exhibitions in Baltimore. In 1800, he held government office in Washington, D.C.
at the National Gallery of Art
....
portrait. He was commissioned to do thirty five paintings and this was his largest group of works from any period. He eventually opened a drawing school and a dry-goods business. Both ventures failed and he moved to Frederick County, Maryland
. During his period as a politician, he produced few oil painting
s. However, he did produce "verre églomisé
" miniatures which were made by scratching a gold leaf
profile into a glass plate and painting black in the surrounding areas. Ultimately, he took up life as a farmer in Virginia
two years before his death.
In his depiction of Anna Maria Cumpston he delicately depicts a girl holding a flower. Her arms are awkwardly posed and her gaze is blank. Equally blank is her facial expression, which is lifeless and lacks any emotional depiction. The background shows some soft trees against a cloudy sky. To the right is an unbalanced large countertop. The light values of the countertop are weighted on the opposite side by the dark trees and floors. The dress is elegant and the figure glows apparently bathed in light. The content seems to be meaningless and chosen more for its visual appeal and shape. This work is very much like other works of this time period and era.
In comparing Polk’s works to Joshua Johnson
, they have very similar style in positioning objects and creating composition. The awkwardness of the works is actually somewhat appealing for both artists and probably deliberate. Both artists often have subjects holding objects in a way that while unnatural also brings interests and causes the hands to be shaped in a visually interesting way. The art work of both avoids expressiveness and instead chooses to emphasize capturing some likeness of the subject.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
portrait
Portrait
thumb|250px|right|Portrait of [[Thomas Jefferson]] by [[Rembrandt Peale]], 1805. [[New-York Historical Society]].A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expression is predominant. The intent is to display the likeness,...
painter and the nephew of artist Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale
Charles Willson Peale was an American painter, soldier and naturalist. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution, as well as establishing one of the first museums....
.
Biography
Polk was born in Annapolis, MarylandAnnapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
, to Elizabeth Digby Peale and Robert Polk. At age eight or ten (sources vary on the exact age), after being orphaned, he was sent to Philadelphia to live with his uncle and study art. He was married by the time he was eighteen and Philadelphia was his permanent residence. By the time he was in his twenties, Polk was advertising himself as a portrait artist in Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
newspapers. He was apparently not at all successful since he returned to Philadelphia within a matter of a couple years, advertising his services as a house and sign painter. But he continued his artistic pursuits, and by 1800 he had opened exhibitions in Baltimore. In 1800, he held government office in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
at the National Gallery of Art
National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art and its Sculpture Garden is a national art museum, located on the National Mall between 3rd and 9th Streets at Constitution Avenue NW, in Washington, DC...
....
Artistry
Polk’s earliest paintings were copies of his uncle's originals and he was high dependent on his uncle's training and guidance. He continued to make copies of many paintings including his own. It is said that he produced fifty-seven reproductions of his George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
portrait. He was commissioned to do thirty five paintings and this was his largest group of works from any period. He eventually opened a drawing school and a dry-goods business. Both ventures failed and he moved to Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County, Maryland
Frederick County is a county located in the western part of the U.S. state of Maryland, bordering the southern border of Pennsylvania and the northeastern border of Virginia. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 233,385....
. During his period as a politician, he produced few oil painting
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
s. However, he did produce "verre églomisé
Verre églomisé
Verre églomisé, from the French term meaning glass gilded, is a process in which the back side of glass is gilded with gold or metal leaf.In one method, the metal is adhered using a gelatin adhesive, which results in a mirror-like, reflective finish in which designs are then engraved. The metal...
" miniatures which were made by scratching a gold leaf
Gold leaf
right|thumb|250px|[[Burnishing]] gold leaf with an [[agate]] stone tool, during the water gilding processGold leaf is gold that has been hammered into extremely thin sheets and is often used for gilding. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades...
profile into a glass plate and painting black in the surrounding areas. Ultimately, he took up life as a farmer in Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
two years before his death.
In his depiction of Anna Maria Cumpston he delicately depicts a girl holding a flower. Her arms are awkwardly posed and her gaze is blank. Equally blank is her facial expression, which is lifeless and lacks any emotional depiction. The background shows some soft trees against a cloudy sky. To the right is an unbalanced large countertop. The light values of the countertop are weighted on the opposite side by the dark trees and floors. The dress is elegant and the figure glows apparently bathed in light. The content seems to be meaningless and chosen more for its visual appeal and shape. This work is very much like other works of this time period and era.
In comparing Polk’s works to Joshua Johnson
Joshua Johnson
Joshua Johnson was an American biracial painter from the Baltimore area. Johnson, often viewed as the first person of color to make a living as a painter in the United States, is known for his naïve paintings of prominent Maryland residents....
, they have very similar style in positioning objects and creating composition. The awkwardness of the works is actually somewhat appealing for both artists and probably deliberate. Both artists often have subjects holding objects in a way that while unnatural also brings interests and causes the hands to be shaped in a visually interesting way. The art work of both avoids expressiveness and instead chooses to emphasize capturing some likeness of the subject.