# Charles Willson Peale

American, 1741–1827; born in Chester, Maryland; died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Peale trained as a saddler in Maryland before turning to painting, and studied in London with Benjamin West. Back in America he served in the Revolutionary War and painted George Washington from life several times, along with many leaders of the new republic. In 1786 he opened a museum in Philadelphia, showing portraits beside natural history specimens, including an excavated mastodon skeleton. He named several of his children after artists, among them Raphaelle, Rembrandt and Rubens, and several became painters.

_Written by Ochre Editions._

3 works in the collection.

- [George Washington](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/george-washington-met-11707), Charles Willson Peale, ca. 1779–81. Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- [Richard Henry Lee](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/richard-henry-lee-si-npg-npg-74-5), Charles Willson Peale, c. 1795-1805. Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution.
- [Charles Willson Peale Self-Portrait](https://www.ochreeditions.com/art/charles-willson-peale-self-portrait-si-npg-npg-89-205), Charles Willson Peale, c. 1791. Courtesy of Smithsonian Institution.