James Peale
American
James Peale came from one of America’s first artistic families. He served in the Continental army during the American Revolution; after the war he settled in Philadelphia, where he became an accomplished painter of portrait miniatures. When his eyesight began to fail around 1810, he began painting larger portraits, landscapes, and realistic and intimate still lifes.
Born
1749
Died
1831
Which of the senses does this painting evoke?
This painting, typical of the growing taste for fruit still lifes during the 1820s–1830s, offers a palette of contrasting colors displayed in peaches, pears, and multiple varieties of grapes. Some of the fruits sit in a bowl; others seem to spill across the surface of a table. The microscopic attention to detail shows Peale’s background as a painter of miniatures and a student of the natural sciences.
Medium
Oil on panel
Credit
Museum purchase, M. H. de Young Memorial Museum
Item ID
46.11
Dimensions
18 1/4 x 25 1/4 in. (46.4 x 64.1 cm)
Date
ca. 1821
Country
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Artist name
James Peale
Artwork location