James Peale (American, 1749–1831)
Olivia Simes Morris
INV-4038
James Peale (American, 1749–1831)1814
Olivia Simes Morris
James Peale (American, 1749–1831) →paintingamerican arts
Date
1814
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
71.8 × 61 cm (28 3/4 × 24 in.)
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Location
Chicago, IL
Credit
Bequest of Mary Morley Sellers
James Peale was a member of a prominent Philadelphia family of artists, brother of Charles Willson Peale and father of several accomplished female painters. Olivia Simes Morris was also a member of the city’s cultural elite, her husband having been a cofounder of the Columbianum, a short-lived artists’ association that Charles Willson Peale organized. Olivia Simes Morris is a sensitive portrayal of the sitter. Embellishments of lace and a richly colored embroidered shawl add notes of refinement to an otherwise restrained composition. James Peale practiced portraiture throughout his long career. In addition to oil portraits, he excelled at miniatures, delicate likenesses of watercolor on ivory.
Also notable
Works in the same vein
Mary (Polly) Lawton Bringhurst
James Peale (American, 1749–1831)
Mountain Town by Bridge Spanning Rapids
Possibly after John "Warwick" Smith English, 1749-1831
Travelers Cooking at Roadside by Lake
Possibly after John "Warwick" Smith (British, 1749-1831) or attributed to Nicholas Pocock (British, 1740-1821)
