my city of Philadelphia holds much treasure,
some less immediately evident than others.
Latest example, the LaSalle University Art
Museum, where yesterday a friend and I saw
a small but delightful exhibition of Charles
Willson Peale And His Family At Belfield.
Charles Willson Peale, self-portrait
some less immediately evident than others.
Latest example, the LaSalle University Art
Museum, where yesterday a friend and I saw
a small but delightful exhibition of Charles
Willson Peale And His Family At Belfield.
When Peale, the famous portrait painter and
curator of his own early natural history museum
(considered the first natural history museum
in America and once housed in Independence Hall),
retired from that post, he moved his family
to the country.
The property, just east of Germantown and now
adjacent to the campus of LaSalle University,
he called Belfield Farm.
A view of Belfield by Charles Willson Peale
Today, the President of LaSalle lives in Peale's
charming old house.
Peale's house at Belfield
Mr. Peale and I are "old friends". His paintings
of his family were a great help to me during my
REDOUTÈ research. Since Peale's children were
also artists, as was Peale's brother James, and they
lived at approximately the same as the Redoutè
family, details of their dress and artists' tools
curator of his own early natural history museum
(considered the first natural history museum
in America and once housed in Independence Hall),
retired from that post, he moved his family
to the country.
The property, just east of Germantown and now
adjacent to the campus of LaSalle University,
he called Belfield Farm.
Today, the President of LaSalle lives in Peale's
charming old house.
Mr. Peale and I are "old friends". His paintings
of his family were a great help to me during my
REDOUTÈ research. Since Peale's children were
also artists, as was Peale's brother James, and they
lived at approximately the same as the Redoutè
family, details of their dress and artists' tools
were immensely valuable.
The Redoutè family from REDOUTÈ,The man Who
Painted Flowers by Carolyn Croll
The Peale family by Charles Willson Peale
The Redoutè family from REDOUTÈ,The man Who
Painted Flowers by Carolyn Croll
Another artist of the period to whom I am
indebted is Elisabeth Vigee LeBrun, Marie
Antionette's portraitist. Madame LeBrun
painted her young brother, also an artist,
wearing the sort of costume the Redoutè
brothers would have worn. Again including tools
of the trade, portfolio and a drawing instrument
that held charcoal at one end and white chalk
at the other.
Young Pierre-Joseph Redoutè
The Redoutè brothers, Pierre-Joseph and Antoine Ferdinand in Paris
Besides this special Peale exhibit, the LaSalle
indebted is Elisabeth Vigee LeBrun, Marie
Antionette's portraitist. Madame LeBrun
painted her young brother, also an artist,
wearing the sort of costume the Redoutè
brothers would have worn. Again including tools
of the trade, portfolio and a drawing instrument
that held charcoal at one end and white chalk
at the other.
Young artist by Elisabeth Vigee LeBrun
Young Pierre-Joseph Redoutè
The artist's brother by Elisabeth Vigee LeBrun
The Redoutè brothers, Pierre-Joseph and Antoine Ferdinand in Paris
Besides this special Peale exhibit, the LaSalle
University Museum of Art houses a small but
interesting collection of paintings and prints
from the 15th thru 20 centuries.
Took me long enough!
(http://www.lasalle.edu/museum/exhibitions/peale/) - link
click on images to enlarge
(http://www.lasalle.edu/museum/exhibitions/peale/) - link
click on images to enlarge
How enlightening and informative. And charming art, as always!
ReplyDeleteI love knowing the roots of your work. You chose well and did each proud!
ReplyDelete