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Lot Essay
James Peale first exhibited still life subjects at the Columbianum in 1795. According to Linda Crocker Simmons, "The works exhibited document the birth of the still-life tradition in America; [James and his nephew Raphaelle] were to be the principal practitioners of this art form for many decades to come." (L.B. Miller, ed., The Peale Family: Creation of a Legacy 1770-1870, Washington, D.C., 1996, p. 217) Although Peale continued to paint still-lifes he did not exhibit them again until 1826. This may be because he did not want to take critical attention away from his nephew, as "His fruit pieces, lush evocations of the earth's abundance, won a popularity denied to Raphaelle Peale's stark, intense compositions." (Four Generations of Commissions: The Peale Collection of the Maryland Historical Society, Baltimore, Maryland, 1975, p. 33)
Peale's still lifes can be separated into two basic groups, those painted up to the early 1820s and those from the years before his death. "All are characterized by common elements of lighting, grouping of objects on a table or ledge, and the use of a limited selection of objects--fruit, vegetables, branches, foliage, flowers, flatware, and containers...The lighting is similar in both early and later works, usually coming from two sources and thus illuminating one side--the left--from above and in front, and the right side with a strong glow behind the objects, setting them off against the background space...earlier works show a tight control of brushstroke, a sharpness of focus, and a palette dominated by primary colors...His depictions of natural objects seems to be based on direct observation and a perception of their interrelationships over time, not the geometry of their forms. Visual examination informs his hand in the depiction of the items before him, and his awareness of the passage of time is evident." (The Peale Family: Creation of a Legacy 1770-1870, p. 218)
In an unpublished letter dated November 2, 1994, Dr. William H. Gerdts discusses the present work: "It's a very handsome picture and typical of James Peale in all ways--the basic composition, the treatment of the individual fruit, the bare support and the background, and the use of canvas (rather than board which was a preference of his nephew, Raphaelle Peale)." He continues, "the cantaloupe is similar to that which appears in the Woolworth still life, which also includes a watermelon. In addition, Peale used the same ceramic basket in at least two other still lifes--one dated 1824, formerly with the Childs Gallery, Boston, and one of 1829, formerly in the Frank F. Ford collection. In the former, it is referred to as a Leeds basket, perhaps, then manufactured in Leeds, England. James Peale almost surely owned this ceramic and therefore may have used it in still lifes throughout the relatively short period in which he consistently painted such subjects--from 1823-24 until his death in 1831." Upon firsthand inspection of the present work prior to auction, Dr. Gerdts further commented that "this is probably as fine a James Peale that has come onto the market in decades."
Peale's still lifes can be separated into two basic groups, those painted up to the early 1820s and those from the years before his death. "All are characterized by common elements of lighting, grouping of objects on a table or ledge, and the use of a limited selection of objects--fruit, vegetables, branches, foliage, flowers, flatware, and containers...The lighting is similar in both early and later works, usually coming from two sources and thus illuminating one side--the left--from above and in front, and the right side with a strong glow behind the objects, setting them off against the background space...earlier works show a tight control of brushstroke, a sharpness of focus, and a palette dominated by primary colors...His depictions of natural objects seems to be based on direct observation and a perception of their interrelationships over time, not the geometry of their forms. Visual examination informs his hand in the depiction of the items before him, and his awareness of the passage of time is evident." (The Peale Family: Creation of a Legacy 1770-1870, p. 218)
In an unpublished letter dated November 2, 1994, Dr. William H. Gerdts discusses the present work: "It's a very handsome picture and typical of James Peale in all ways--the basic composition, the treatment of the individual fruit, the bare support and the background, and the use of canvas (rather than board which was a preference of his nephew, Raphaelle Peale)." He continues, "the cantaloupe is similar to that which appears in the Woolworth still life, which also includes a watermelon. In addition, Peale used the same ceramic basket in at least two other still lifes--one dated 1824, formerly with the Childs Gallery, Boston, and one of 1829, formerly in the Frank F. Ford collection. In the former, it is referred to as a Leeds basket, perhaps, then manufactured in Leeds, England. James Peale almost surely owned this ceramic and therefore may have used it in still lifes throughout the relatively short period in which he consistently painted such subjects--from 1823-24 until his death in 1831." Upon firsthand inspection of the present work prior to auction, Dr. Gerdts further commented that "this is probably as fine a James Peale that has come onto the market in decades."