Peale, Sarah Miriam

▪ American painter

born May 19, 1800, Philadelphia, Pa., U.S.

died Feb. 4, 1885, Philadelphia

      American painter who, with her sister Anna (Peale, Anna Claypoole), was known for her portraiture and still lifes. She was one of the first women in the United States to achieve professional recognition as an artist.

      Peale was the daughter of James Peale, a painter, and niece of Charles Willson Peale (Peale, Charles Willson), a well-known portraitist and museum entrepreneur. She first exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy in 1818 with Portrait of a Lady. The next year she exhibited two portraits and four still lifes. Peale spent time in her uncle Charles's studio in Washington, D.C., but she did not remain there long. She launched an independent career as a portraitist, working in Philadelphia and in Baltimore, Md. In 1824 both she and her sister Anna—who often shared a studio and patrons—were elected to the Pennsylvania Academy, and Sarah exhibited there annually until 1831, when she moved to Baltimore.

      Sarah is often considered the most talented of the Peale sisters. Her portraits were distinctive for their detailed furs, laces, and fabrics, and her subjects included Thomas Hart Benton (Benton, Thomas Hart), Caleb Cushing (Cushing, Caleb), William R.D. King (King, William Rufus de Vane), Daniel Webster (Webster, Daniel), and the marquis de Lafayette (Lafayette, Marie-Joseph-Paul-Yves-Roch-Gilbert du Motier, marquis de). In 1846 Peale left Baltimore for St. Louis, Mo., where she was a leading portraitist. She later painted still lifes as well, and her style became somewhat freer. In 1878 she returned to Philadelphia to live with her sisters.

Additional Reading

Wilbur H. Hunter and John Mahey, Miss Sarah Miriam Peale, 1800–1885: Portraits and Still Life (1967), is an exhibition catalogue.

* * *