Staircase Group (aka Portrait of Raphaelle Peale and Titian Ramsay Peale)

Primary Creator
Painter Charles Wilson Peale
Contributor(s)
Properties
Height89 inches
Width39 inches
Name of WorkStaircase Group (aka Portrait of Raphaelle Peale and Titian Ramsay Peale)
Production Date1795
Production Location


Current Location


Media Typesoil on canvas
General Notes

George W. Elkins Collection acquired for the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Description

Almost life-size portraits of Peale's two sons. Highly detailed and realistic work that has the added trick of using a large door frame as its picture frame, and that has at the bottom of the frame an actual wood step to continue the painting outside the plane of the canvas.

Emotional Sum or Sense-of-life

Perceiving accurately is important and playing with the artistic medium is fun.

Context Information

I place this in Experiential arts, rather than Thematic, because its intention seems to be mainly -- a portrait occasion for his sons, and a way to play with the medium and show his skills. No metaphyisical, philosophical, or emotionally significant theme is evident.

Tags

mixed media, portrait, trompe l'oeil

Scale

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