Anna Claypoole Peale
| Anna Claypoole Peale | |
|---|---|
Anna Claypoole Peale,
by James Peale, c. 1805 |
|
| Born |
March 6, 1791 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Died | December 25, 1878 (aged 87) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | portrait miniature |
| Spouse(s) | William Staughton, 1829; William Duncan 1841-1864. |
Anna Claypoole Peale (March 6, 1791, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania – December 25, 1878, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) was an American painter who specialized in portrait miniatures on ivory and still lifes.
Anna Claypoole Peale was born on March 6, 1791, to James Peale (1749-1831) and Mary Chambers Claypoole Peale (1753-1829). Anna was the fourth of six children, and the third daughter. Her siblings were: Jane R. (1785-1834), Maria (1787-1866), James JR (1789-1876), Margaretta (1795-1882), and Sarah Miriam (Sally) (1800-1885). Anna was the only child to carry the Claypoole name, and used it throughout her career. From a young age Anna watched her father, a miniature portrait artist, painting in his studio to learn the artform, "hours and hours at a time watching James progress. He took great pains in teaching her, pointing out the peculiar touches that produced his best efforts by giving a charm to the expression"
Under her father’s guidance, Anna began studying portraiture, and was able to capture great likenesses of her sitters. He was likely encouraged to train his daughter by his brother Charles Willson Peale who, with William Rush, co-founded the first American art academy, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA). In 1811 at the age of 20 Anna participated in the first exhibition at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, which was also her first major exhibition. There, she exhibited a still life in oils. In 1824, Anna and her sister Sarah Miriam were the first women elected as academicians to the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Anna’s success in portraiture followed generations of portrait artists in her family. Charles Willson Peale, her uncle, was an important figure in the introduction of miniature painting in the American colonies. Her father also contributed to the evolution of the practice. Her sisters, Sarah Miriam, Maria, and Margaretta Peale were also accomplished artists: Sarah Miriam as a portrait painter, and Maria and Margaretta as still life painters. Both Peale brothers believed in pushing their children toward artistic careers. James Peale and Charles Willson Peale both had influential standing in the lives of their children, nieces and nephews. Anna married William Staughton on August 27, 1829, who died shortly after in December 1829, in Washington, D.C. After his passing, she returned to Philadelphia to continue her studio portrait practice. Eleven years later, in 1841, she married General William Duncan, and retired from painting shortly after.
...
Wikipedia