Elie Williams

Charles Willson Peale

1789 · Oil on canvas · The American Wing

Peale executed this vivid portrait during a period of incessant experimentation with his paints. The artist, who was seeking stronger colors and bolder contrasts, realized those aims here, especially in the robust flesh tints and the fashionable costume. The change in palette as well as the direct gaze of his subject increased the realism of the work. The Philadelphia Windsor chair, with its green paint worn down to the grain, is convincingly rendered. Williams (1750–1822) was a quartermaster in the Maryland militia when he sat for Peale.

Artist

Charles Willson Peale

Date

1789

Medium

Oil on canvas

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of I. Austin Kelly III, 1967