Peale, Rembrandt (1778-1860) to Enoch Dean
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09119.02 Author/Creator: Peale, Rembrandt (1778-1860) Place Written: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 24 December 1852 Pagination: 1 p. ; 20 x 20 cm. Order a Copy
Peale writes to say he is glad Dean is pleased with the portrait of George Washington he painted (see GLC 9199.01) and states he took great pains to make it an exact copy of the original. He comments, "Your Picture will survive me, and as my mortal remains will perish, my work will live & increase in value - especially in the estimation of those who entertain a just Veneration for the great Original, whose equal among men has not been found."
Rembrandt Peale first painted Washington from life in 1795. He repeatedly attempted to produce another portrait that would become the main likeness by which posterity would know Washington. In 1823 he finally painted one that fulfilled his expectations. The result was the original version of this portrait, called the "Patriae Pater." The portrait was a composite based on his 1795 portrait and other images of Washington he admired, including Jean-Antoine Houdon's bust. By the time Peale died in 1860, he had produced at least 79 paintings of Washington, which became known as the porthole portraits.
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