Charles Willson Peale: Revolutionary Artist

The American Revolution was shaped by colorful people and forceful personalities. Ideal times for a photographer then. But the camera wouldn't be invented till the 19th century. Luckily for us, Charles Wilson Peale was there. He's an artist you've maybe never heard of. But if you conjure up mental images of George Washington, say, or Benjamin Franklin, they will almost certainly be based on Peale's paintings. Born in Maryland in 1741, Peale discovered a love of painting as a young man, and traveled to London to study the craft. At the time, it was a sign of status for wealthy people to have their portraits painted. So when he returned to the colonies, his skills were in demand. In 1772, he painted the first known portrait of George Washington. Founded in 1776, he joined a patriot militia company, which he would go on to lead. He fought at the Battle of Princeton, but also continued as an artist, painting famous portraits of Washington throughout the war. And he wasn't just a painter. He was interested in everything, what was called a Renaissance man. After the war, he returned to Philadelphia and had the opportunity to study many other interests, like dentistry, carpentry, and optics. And he invested money in new inventions, like an automated drawing machine and the first ever lie detector. Despite all these ventures, and over the years having 16 children, he still found time to found the United States' first natural history museum. Peale titled it a Repository for Natural Curiosities, but it later became known as the Philadelphia Museum and was a successful business. His collection featured his portraits and expanded to include taxidermied animals. But Peale's lasting contribution to our culture is, above all, his portraits. His talent at conveying the emotions of his subjects gives us a richer understanding of the key players of the revolutionary period.