Rubens Peale

Anna Claypoole Peale, Rubens Peale, 1822, watercolor on ivory, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer, 1999.27.28
Copied Anna Claypoole Peale, Rubens Peale, 1822, watercolor on ivory, sight 2 7⁄8 x 2 1⁄4 in. (7.2 x 5.6 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer, 1999.27.28
Free to use

Artwork Details

Title
Rubens Peale
Artist
Date
1822
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
sight 2 7⁄8 x 2 1⁄4 in. (7.2 x 5.6 cm)
Credit Line
Bequest of Mary Elizabeth Spencer
Mediums
Mediums Description
watercolor on ivory
Classifications
Subjects
  • Portrait male — Peale, Rubens — bust
Object Number
1999.27.28
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1999.27.28

Artwork Description

Rubens Peale (1784-1865) was the artist’s cousin and the son of Charles Willson Peale. He abandoned a painting career due to weak eyesight and his glasses are a hallmark of the portraits painted of him. Rubens pursued a career in museum management, running the Philadelphia Museum (founded by his father) from 1810 to 1822, a family museum in Baltimore from 1822 to 1825, and the Peale Museum in New York City from 1825 to 1837. The financial panic of 1837 destroyed his livelihood, and he retired to his father-in-law’s estate and lived out his life as a country gentleman.