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Lot Essay
Rembrandt Peale was born in Bucks County, Pennsylvania in 1778, during the American Revolution. His father, Charles Willson Peale (1741-1827), was not only considered the leading painter of the American Colonies, but he was also a patriot who left home shortly after his son's birth to fight with General Washington's army. Encouraged by both parents to paint at an early age, Rembrandt first dedicated himself to painting portraits and was given a sitting at the age of seventeen with Washington. However, upon the artist's return from a trip to Paris in 1810, "his thoughts had turned to creating large exhibition pieces, or history paintings in the Grand Manner, such as those he had viewed in exhibitions at the Louvre or in the studio of David while painting David's portrait for his father's museum. He may also have been influenced by Benjamin West's advice, conveyed to him in a letter from his father, that he should not waste his talents indiscriminately in portrait painting, but should devote his efforts to subjects that had 'powers to dignify man.'" (L.B. Miller, Rembrandt Peale: A Life in the Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1985, p. 14)
These thoughts translated into the execution of Peale's grand painting Washington Before Yorktown (Private collection) of 1823 which sold at Christie's in November 1999. Peale considered the work "the concluding act of the great drama of the Revolution and bid to have his work included among the paintings in the Capitol." (C.E. Hevner, 'Equestrian Portrait of George Washington', Rembrandt Peale 1778-1860: A Life in the Arts, p. 86) Despite extensive efforts to do so, the painting was not purchased by the American government prior to Peale's death, however it stood as a testimony to his efforts to create a nationally recognized image of the Republic's first president.
The present painting, Equestrian Portrait of George Washington can be most readily identified with Washington Before Yorktown as it is a reduced and modified version of the 1823 painting. At Peale's 1862 estate sale, the auctioneer described the portrait as "--the Equestrian Portrait, reduced in size painted in oil and very highly finished for the purpose of having it engraved. This was executed at great cost of time, and is the only one ever painted. No engravings were made from it. It is a gem as a work of art." (as quoted in 'Equestrian Portrait of George Washington,' p. 86)
The portrait is a combination of Peale's two famous works, the previously mentioned Washington before Yorktown and George Washington, Patriae Pater (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bequest of Mrs. Sarah Harrison (The Joseph Harrison, Jr. Collection)) from 1824. The difference between Washington's figure in the present painting versus his figure in Yorktown is his arm which no longer extends in a commanding gesture. Rather, he holds his hat at his hip, a necessary change to switch the narrative intent to that of a commemorative image. The portrait relates even more closely, from a compositional standpoint, to the 1824 Patriae Pater portrait, where Washington is placed within an oval enclosure. The impetus for this latter work was to create an image which Peale referred to as "the standard National Likeness" of Washington. Of his intention to create this patriotic portrait standard, Peale stated "there never was a Portrait painted with feeling of higher excitement. No human being could have felt more devoted admiration of the character of Washington, and no Artist ever found his pride more strongly excited by the magnitude and interest of his purpose than mine to rescue from oblivion the aspect of a Man who would forever be venerated as the 'Father of his Country'." (as quoted in C.E. Hevner, 'George Washington, Patriae Pater,' Rembrandt Peale 1778-1860: A Life in the Arts, p. 66)
In Patriae Pater, Peale succeeded in creating a patriotic standard upon which all further porthole portraits, like Equestrian Portrait of George Washington were derived. Carol Hevner writes "The portrait head of the Patriae Pater was, in fact, used as a model for his 1827 prize winning lithograph of Washington, his equestrian portraits created after 1823 and all of his numerous smaller scale 'porthole' portraits of the President." ('George Washington, Patriae Pater,' p. 66) The image depicts a stoic general astride an equally heroic steed, surrounded by a background stage of the American wilderness, further annunciating the oval motif with an oak leaf garland. Ms. Hevner writes, "It has been suggested that Washington's oval enclosure is ultimately derived from the 'clipius' or 'the immortal circle of God' used in ancient sepulchral art. This motif enjoyed a long history as a symbol of honor and was frequently used in prints of notable men and heroes. The oak leaf garland decorating the stonework, however, is a clear allusion to the honor due Washington for his patriotism." ('George Washington, Patriae Pater,' p. 66) Not only does Peale's portrait invoke the intense patriotism the artist felt towards his sitter, but he also achieved his goal of creating a national image of Washington for all time. The image has endured to this day as one of the leading patriotic and desirable images of Washington.
These thoughts translated into the execution of Peale's grand painting Washington Before Yorktown (Private collection) of 1823 which sold at Christie's in November 1999. Peale considered the work "the concluding act of the great drama of the Revolution and bid to have his work included among the paintings in the Capitol." (C.E. Hevner, 'Equestrian Portrait of George Washington', Rembrandt Peale 1778-1860: A Life in the Arts, p. 86) Despite extensive efforts to do so, the painting was not purchased by the American government prior to Peale's death, however it stood as a testimony to his efforts to create a nationally recognized image of the Republic's first president.
The present painting, Equestrian Portrait of George Washington can be most readily identified with Washington Before Yorktown as it is a reduced and modified version of the 1823 painting. At Peale's 1862 estate sale, the auctioneer described the portrait as "--the Equestrian Portrait, reduced in size painted in oil and very highly finished for the purpose of having it engraved. This was executed at great cost of time, and is the only one ever painted. No engravings were made from it. It is a gem as a work of art." (as quoted in 'Equestrian Portrait of George Washington,' p. 86)
The portrait is a combination of Peale's two famous works, the previously mentioned Washington before Yorktown and George Washington, Patriae Pater (Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Bequest of Mrs. Sarah Harrison (The Joseph Harrison, Jr. Collection)) from 1824. The difference between Washington's figure in the present painting versus his figure in Yorktown is his arm which no longer extends in a commanding gesture. Rather, he holds his hat at his hip, a necessary change to switch the narrative intent to that of a commemorative image. The portrait relates even more closely, from a compositional standpoint, to the 1824 Patriae Pater portrait, where Washington is placed within an oval enclosure. The impetus for this latter work was to create an image which Peale referred to as "the standard National Likeness" of Washington. Of his intention to create this patriotic portrait standard, Peale stated "there never was a Portrait painted with feeling of higher excitement. No human being could have felt more devoted admiration of the character of Washington, and no Artist ever found his pride more strongly excited by the magnitude and interest of his purpose than mine to rescue from oblivion the aspect of a Man who would forever be venerated as the 'Father of his Country'." (as quoted in C.E. Hevner, 'George Washington, Patriae Pater,' Rembrandt Peale 1778-1860: A Life in the Arts, p. 66)
In Patriae Pater, Peale succeeded in creating a patriotic standard upon which all further porthole portraits, like Equestrian Portrait of George Washington were derived. Carol Hevner writes "The portrait head of the Patriae Pater was, in fact, used as a model for his 1827 prize winning lithograph of Washington, his equestrian portraits created after 1823 and all of his numerous smaller scale 'porthole' portraits of the President." ('George Washington, Patriae Pater,' p. 66) The image depicts a stoic general astride an equally heroic steed, surrounded by a background stage of the American wilderness, further annunciating the oval motif with an oak leaf garland. Ms. Hevner writes, "It has been suggested that Washington's oval enclosure is ultimately derived from the 'clipius' or 'the immortal circle of God' used in ancient sepulchral art. This motif enjoyed a long history as a symbol of honor and was frequently used in prints of notable men and heroes. The oak leaf garland decorating the stonework, however, is a clear allusion to the honor due Washington for his patriotism." ('George Washington, Patriae Pater,' p. 66) Not only does Peale's portrait invoke the intense patriotism the artist felt towards his sitter, but he also achieved his goal of creating a national image of Washington for all time. The image has endured to this day as one of the leading patriotic and desirable images of Washington.