Rubens Peale, Aged 71
Mary Jane Peale, American, 1827 - 1902
Geography:
Made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Date:
1855Medium:
Oil on canvasDimensions:
30 x 25 inches (76.2 x 63.5 cm)Curatorial Department:
American ArtObject Location:
2009-17-2Credit Line:
Gift of the McNeil Americana Collection, 2009
Made in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, North and Central America
Date:
1855Medium:
Oil on canvasDimensions:
30 x 25 inches (76.2 x 63.5 cm)Curatorial Department:
American ArtObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:2009-17-2Credit Line:
Gift of the McNeil Americana Collection, 2009
Label:
Rubens Peale managed the Peale museums in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New York for most of his career. It was only during his later years, with his daughter Mary Jane as his instructor, that he began to paint.
In this portrait of Rubens, Mary Jane used the techniques for modeling and illuminating a sitter’s facial features she learned from her uncle, Rembrandt Peale. But her ability to capture her father’s warm and slightly amused expression was entirely her own and a reflection of their deep and abiding relationship.