Sarah Miriam Peale
Encyclopedia
Sarah Miriam Peale was an American portrait painter, one of the notable family of artists descended from the miniaturist and still-life painter James Peale
, who was her father. She is noted as a portrait painter, mainly of politicians and military figures. Lafayette sat for her four times.
. She served as a studio assistant to her father. Her first public works date from 1816 with subjects such as flowers and still-life but soon turned to portraiture, In 1818, she spent three months with Rembrandt Peale
, her cousin, in Baltimore
, and again in 1820 and 1822. He influenced her painting style and subject matter. For 25 years, she painted in Baltimore (1822–47) and, intermittently, in Washington, D.C.
She was accepted to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1824 along with her sister Anna Claypoole Peale
, the first women to achieve this distinction. Over 100 commissioned portrait paintings are known from her time in Baltimore and she was the most prolific artist in the city during that era. Her subjects were wealthy Baltimore residents and politicians from Washington DC.
In 1847 ill health caused her to relocate to St. Louis
where she became independently successful and one of America's first professional female artists able to earn her living through her work. Most of her work from this era is in private hands and not available for viewing. Around 1860 she shifted her subjects from portraits back to still-life, but with a natural arrangement rather that the formal ones of her earlier years.
She returned to her hometown in 1878, living out her last years there with her sisters Anna Claypoole (died 1879) and Margaretta Angelica
(died 1879). Like her sisters she never married. She died in 1885, aged 85. She is buried at the Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia.
James Peale
James Peale was an American painter, best known for his miniature and still life paintings, and a younger brother of noted painter Charles Willson Peale....
, who was her father. She is noted as a portrait painter, mainly of politicians and military figures. Lafayette sat for her four times.
Life
Sarah was James Peale's youngest daughter and was trained by her father, and uncle Charles Willson PealeCharles 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....
. She served as a studio assistant to her father. Her first public works date from 1816 with subjects such as flowers and still-life but soon turned to portraiture, In 1818, she spent three months with Rembrandt Peale
Rembrandt Peale
Rembrandt Peale 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...
, her cousin, 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...
, and again in 1820 and 1822. He influenced her painting style and subject matter. For 25 years, she painted in Baltimore (1822–47) and, intermittently, in Washington, D.C.
She was accepted to the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts in 1824 along with her sister Anna Claypoole Peale
Anna Claypoole Peale
Anna Claypoole Peale was an American painter, specializing in portrait miniatures and still lifes....
, the first women to achieve this distinction. Over 100 commissioned portrait paintings are known from her time in Baltimore and she was the most prolific artist in the city during that era. Her subjects were wealthy Baltimore residents and politicians from Washington DC.
In 1847 ill health caused her to relocate to St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
where she became independently successful and one of America's first professional female artists able to earn her living through her work. Most of her work from this era is in private hands and not available for viewing. Around 1860 she shifted her subjects from portraits back to still-life, but with a natural arrangement rather that the formal ones of her earlier years.
She returned to her hometown in 1878, living out her last years there with her sisters Anna Claypoole (died 1879) and Margaretta Angelica
Margaretta Angelica Peale
Margaretta Angelica Peale was an American painter, one of the Peale family of artists. The daughter of James Peale, she was the sister of Sarah Miriam Peale, Anna Claypoole Peale, and Maria Peale. She was taught by her father, and painted primarily still-lifes, many of which were copies of his...
(died 1879). Like her sisters she never married. She died in 1885, aged 85. She is buried at the Gloria Dei (Old Swedes') Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia.
Works
An incomplete list of exhibited works:- Self-Portrait, 1818, oil on canvas, 61.2 x 48.3 cm, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian InstitutionNational Portrait Gallery (United States)The National Portrait Gallery is an art gallery in Washington, D.C., administered by the Smithsonian Institution. Its collections focus on images of famous individual Americans.-Building:...
, Washington, DC - Anna Marie Smyth, 1821, oil on canvas, 91.4 x 71.1 cm, Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, Philadelphia
- Fruits and Wine, 1822, oil on canvas, 29.8 x 40.6 cm
- Mrs. Rubens PealeRubens PealeRubens Peale was an American artist and museum director. Born in Philadelphia, he was a son of artist-naturalist, Charles Willson Peale.-Life:...
and Son, 1823, oil on canvas, 76.2 x 60.9 cm, The Peale MuseumPeale MuseumThe Peale Museum, also known as the Municipal Museum of Baltimore, was a museum of paintings and natural history, located in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. It occupied the first building in the Western Hemisphere to be designed and built as a museum. The Peale Museum was created by Charles Willson Peale...
, Baltimore
- Elijah Bosley (1740–1841) circa 1825, oil on canvas 73.66 cm x 62.23 cm, private collection, Virginia
- José Silvestre Rabello, in 1826, oil on canvas, 70.5 x 89.2 cm, Brazilian Embassy Collection, Washington, DC
- Still Life: Grapes and Watermelon, 1828, oil on canvas, 36.2 x 48.3 cm, Maryland Historical SocietyMaryland Historical SocietyThe Maryland Historical Society , founded in 1844, is the oldest cultural institution in the U.S. state of Maryland. The society "collects, preserves, and interprets objects and materials reflecting Maryland's diverse heritage." MdHS has a museum, library, holds educational programs, and publishes...
, Baltimore - Peaches and Grapes in a Porcelain Bowl, 1829, oil on canvas, 29.8 x 38.1 cm, Montclair Art MuseumMontclair Art MuseumThe Montclair Art Museum is located in Montclair, in Essex County, New Jersey, United States.-Collection:The Montclair Art Museum is one of the few museums in the United States devoted to American art and Native American art forms. The collection consists of more than 12,000 works...
, Montclair, New Jersey - Self-Portrait, 1830, oil on canvas, 68.6 x 50.8 cm, The Peale Museum, Baltimore City Life Museums
- Charles Lavalle Jessop (Boy on a Rocking Horse), 1840, oil on canvas, 90.1 x 106 cm
- Mrs. William Crane, 1840, 75,6 x 62,9 cm, San Diego Museum of ArtSan Diego Museum of ArtThe San Diego Museum of Art is a fine arts museum located in Balboa Park in San Diego, California that houses a broad collection with particular strength in Spanish art. The San Diego Museum of Art opened as The Fine Arts Gallery of San Diego on February 28, 1926, and changed its name to the San...
, California - Charlotte Ramsay Bobinson, 1840, oil on canvas, oval, 96.5 x 66 cm, The Peale Museum, Baltimore City Life Museums
- Henry Alexander WiseHenry A. WiseHenry Alexander Wise was an American politician and governor of Virginia, as well as a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.-Early life:...
, 1842, oil on canvas, 74.9 x 62.2 cm, Virginia Museum of Fine ArtsVirginia Museum of Fine ArtsThe Virginia Museum of Fine arts, or VMFA, is an art museum in Richmond, Virginia, in the United States, which opened in 1936.The museum is owned and operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia, while private donations, endowments, and funds are used for the support of specific programs and all...
, Richmond - Senator Thomas Hart BentonThomas Hart Benton (senator)Thomas Hart Benton , nicknamed "Old Bullion", was a U.S. Senator from Missouri and a staunch advocate of westward expansion of the United States. He served in the Senate from 1821 to 1851, becoming the first member of that body to serve five terms...
, 1842, oil on canvas, 76.2 x 63.5 cm, Missouri Historical SocietyMissouri Historical SocietyThe Missouri Historical Society was founded in St. Louis in 1866. Founding members created the historical society "for the purpose of saving from oblivion the early history of the city and state."- Organization :...
, Saint Louis - Basket of Berries, 1860, oil on canvas, oval, 30.5 x 25.4 cm
- Senator Lewis Fields LinnLewis F. LinnLewis Fields Linn was a Jacksonian Democratic U.S. Senator for the state of Missouri born in Kentucky. He served in that role from 1833 to 1843. Four states named counties in his honor: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Oregon. West Linn, Oregon and Linnton, Oregon also get their name from the ex-senator...
, oil on canvas, Missouri Historical Society, Saint Louis
External links
- Gallery of works at the Athenaeum website. Accessed January 2010