JAMES PEALE SR. | MINIATURE PORTRAIT OF AN AMERICAN REVOLUTIONARY WAR CAPTAIN OF ARTILLERY

James Peale Sr., the younger brother and student of the esteemed artist Charles Wilson Peale, was an active miniaturist circa 1780 to 1810, painting portraits for prominent members of Philadelphia society. Serving as a first lieutenant of the Maryland regiment in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and retiring a captain in 1779, Peale had a vested interest in U.S. military affairs and painted several officers. The miniature portrait of this officer, wearing the navy coat of the Continental Army, a single gold epaulette on the right shoulder denoting the rank of captain, and red lapels signifying those who hailed from the Mid-Atlantic region, is depicted in Peale’s signature style with vibrant color, soft lines supported by long brushstrokes, and a “Cupid’s bow” smile.