Delmarva Heritage Series, by Dr. William H. Wroten, Jr.
Famous Painter Also Founded Museum, Achieved Recognition as a Naturalist
Salisbury Times - July 17, 1958
Charles Wilson Peale, besides being classed as a painter
and patriot, was also a naturalist, founder of a famous museum, and
writer. Besides his memoirs, and some other unpublished writings,
he was the author of such works as "An Essay On Building Wooden
Bridges," "Discourse Introductory To A Course of Lectures on the
Science of Nature," "Introduction to a Course of Lectures on Natural
History," "An Epistle to a Friend on the Means of Preserving
Health," and "An Address to the Corporation and Citizens of
Philadelphia."
After the Revolutionary War, during a period when
economic conditions seemed rather unfavorable to the artist's
profession, Peale came across the fact that the bones of a mammoth
had been discovered in New York State. Friends suggested to Peale
that he make his art gallery a repository also of natural
curiosities. The idea appealed to him and such an arrangement was
established. At one time the museum was even granted free use of
the State House (Independence Hall) which, a short time before, had
been vacated by the legislature. Later it became incorporated as
the Philadelphia Museum. In its time this museum in scope and
character was of the first rank.
Davy Crockett in 1834, during his travels to eastern
cities, wrote, "... I was taken to Peale's museum. I shall not
attempt to describe the curiosities here; it is above my bend. I
could not help, however, thinking what pleasure of curiosity folks
could take in sticking up whole rows of little bugs, and such like
varmints, I saw a boy there that had been born without any arms or
hands; and he took a pair of scissors in his toes, and cut his name
in full, and gave it to me. This I call a miracle."
Mrs. Anne Royall, who was born in Maryland, paid a visit
to the museum in the 1820's while in Philadelphia. "It may readily
be supposed," she wrote, "that the idea of seeing a place so
celebrated as the museum of Philadelphia, inspired me with no common
curiosity: that, and the market to me, were objects of the first
interest, which I had long and ardently wished to see. The museum
is in Chestnut St., near the corner of S. 4th St. I soon
discovered it by a sign, and after crossing a gallery, came to a
staircase, wide enough to admit a wagon and team. I made but a few
steps, before one of them springing under my fee, rung a bell to my
great surprise, and upon gaining the stairs, I was met by a man
whose business it is to receive the money paid, which is 25 cents.
The first object of my inquiry was the mammoth skeleton, but I was
greatly disappointed in its appearance. The skeleton is indeed
large as is represented, but it had not that formidable,
dread-inspiring aspect which my romantic turn led me to expect and
with which I expected to be overwhelmed: I beheld it without
surprise or emotion. It is standing upon its feet in a small room,
which is lighted by a large window, enclosed with a rail as high as
one's breast, and presenting its side foremost. The whole has a
very dark appearance, and in many parts it is quite black. In some
instances the bone is as hard as iron, while other parts seem to be
in a moulding condition ... Although I was not thrown into hysterics
at the sight of the mammoth skeleton, I found enough of the
marvelous in the museum to remunerate for the disappointment.
Amongst these were the sea-lion, the skeleton of a horse, which when
living, measured 20 hands in height, with a human figure on its
back'. A sheep weighing 214 lbs., the devil-fish - in short, ten
thousand things wonderful and pleasing, including 200 portraits of
our most distinguished men. Of all the portraits, I was
particularly struck with those of Commodore Perry, Doctor Rush,
Latrobe, and Albert Gallatin."
The museum was founded by Mr. Peale in 1784; this
indefatigable man has done more since that time, than one would
suppose could be done by a whole nation - the collection is endless
... After paying once, you have free liberty of the museum as often as
you choose to call."
Despite the shortcomings expressed by such travelers as
Davy Crockett and Mrs. Anne Royall, the educational aspect of the
museum was developed for Peale's staff included professional men in
zoology, comparative anatomy and mineralogy. In exhibiting his wild
life he added a semblance of natural habitat, an interesting
innovation. His museum became so famous that it tended to obscure
his career as a portrait painter.
Although Peale more or less retired in the 1790's he
continued to do some painting to enlarge his portrait gallery and to
acquire the money for the museum, which depended mainly on his
purse. After 1810, when he retired to his country home, his sons,
who were trained naturalists, relieved him of the active supervision
of the museum.
Some of the famous sons of Charles Wilson Peale by his
first wife were Raphael and Rembrandt, painters, and Titian and
Rubens, naturalists. Two sons of the second marriage, Franklin and
Titian Ramsay (named after his half-brother who died during a yellow
fever epidemic in 1789) were trained naturalists.
Rembrandt Peale (1778-1860) like his father, was a
famous portrait painter, who also had the opportunity of studying
under Benjamin West in England. Although he produced numerous
portraits and historical works, he had the misfortune to live at a
time when America was not demonstrating much artistic interest.
Horace Wells Sellers says, "Technically, Rembrandt Peale may have
been a better painter than his father, but not one of his canvases
exhibits the charm and decorative qualities of those of the elder
Peale ... as a result his portraits while good likenesses, are
perfunctory."
Most people of Maryland, and the United States in
general, will not associate Rembrandt Peale with his paintings but
with his gallery and museum in Baltimore. His father tried to
discourage him from establishing such an undertaking in Baltimore
but the son was determined to do so, and to found, if possible, an
academy for teaching the fine arts. The building was erected, and
he opened his exhibits in 1814. Paul Wilstach, in Tidewater
Maryland, said, "The brothers opened the museum the same year that
the streets of an American city first flamed here with 'carbureted
hydrogen gas,'" and in the advertisement of the museum, Peale made a
point of the fact that it, too was illuminated by "Gas Light -
Without oil, Tallow, Wick or Smoke."
Rembrandt tried to maintain his museum on the same basis
of his father's, but the support of the people was not sufficient
and finally his brother Rubens, the naturalist, who had managed the
one in Philadelphia, came to take over.
Rembrandt Peale was probably the most famous of Charles
Willson Peale's sons, but Raphael (1774-1825) achieved success as a
painter of miniatures and for his still-life canvases. He also
painted with his brother Rembrandt; working together in the 1790's
they attempted to establish a portrait gallery of distinguished
persons in Baltimore.
Although Titian Ramsay (1799-1885) was somewhat of an
artist, he is more famous as a naturalist and director of museums of
natural history. He traveled on various expeditions painting,
studying, and collecting specimens. He traveled to the coast of
Georgia and Florida, the Upper Missouri River region, South America,
and the South Seas.
Much space has been devoted to the Charles Wilson Peale
family, and rightfully so, but mention must be given to his brother
and family. James Peale (1749-1831), born in Chestertown, Md., was
the youngest son of Margaret and Charles Peale. He was taught not
only the art of the saddler but that of the painter by his more
famous brother, James, too, served in the Revolutionary War, first
with Smallwood's Maryland Regiment and later with the First
Maryland, in which he reached the rank of captain.
After the war he left Maryland to live with Charles in
Philadelphia, where he met and married Mary Claypoole, the daughter
of James Claypoole, another artist. Although he painted portraits
and landscapes, he is best known as a painter of miniatures. He
followed mainly the style of Charles Wilson Peale.
James' only son became a banker, but tow of his five
daughters, Sarah Miriam and Anna Claypoole Peale became painters.
Sarah Miriam became a portrait painter, most famous probably for her
canvas of Lafayette in 1825, while Anna painted miniatures but not
quite the equal of either her father or uncle.
America's artistic culture and its knowledge of natural
history was certainly made richer because of the Peale family from
Chestertown, Kent County.
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