In 1795 the Philadelphia artist Charles Willson Peale painted this illusionistic portrait to showcase his artistic skills. At the same time, he wished to represent the roles played by two of his sons at Peale’s Museum, the first American museum created to educate and entertain the public.
Titian Ramsay Peale, who crafted natural science displays, gestures at the top of the stairs as his older brother, Raphaelle, an artist with his palette in hand, strides upward just above a real step attached to the base of the canvas. The life-size portrait is known to have startled and delighted visitors, reputedly even George Washington, before the Peale Museum’s collection was dismantled and finally sold in 1854. Acquired by the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1945, the picture continues to engage and welcome visitors.
Charles Willson Peale (American, 1741–1827) believed in the power of knowledge. If people could understand the world around them, they could improve their community and its future. To this end, he opened Peale’s Museum in 1786 in the heart of Philadelphia to educate, entertain, and inspire the public. Museum visitors could see natural history specimens, Peale’s painted portraits, and new inventions.
Peale is best remembered today as an artist, but he was also a scientist, soldier, politician, and inventor. He fought in the Revolutionary War and wanted to help the new nation thrive. Peale felt that establishing an American art tradition was important to the country’s success and helped found its first art school. He taught many of his family members to paint, forming the nation’s first artistic dynasty.
Source: Philadelphia Museum of Art
