Hirsch Exhibitions

 

The Peale family of artists and naturalists figured prominently in American cultural life, from the country’s founding to well into the 19th century. Charles Willson Peale, patriarch of the large and talented family, studied with some of the period’s great painters, absorbing the fundamentals of the British portrait tradition. Peale then trained many of his family members—several of whom went on to become prominent artists in their own right. In 1784, he established America’s first museum, promoting a taste for art and natural history, simultaneously creating a democratic center for public education in the new nation.

 

The Peale family carried on a multigenerational legacy that cultivated an appreciation for art and science while producing works in a variety of genres, including portraiture, history painting, still life, landscape, miniatures, and scientific illustration. The Peales in Print presents a selection of documents that attest to the family’s wide-ranging interests and broad impact on American art and culture.

 

On-site
Hirsch Library is located on the Lower Level of the Beck Building.
 
Online

View the virtual edition of The Peales in Print: Documenting America’s First Family of Art
  
Related Events
September 17, 2026 & January 7, 2027 | Exhibition Talk: The Peales in Print: Documenting America’s First Family of Art