This catalog accompanied the first exhibition devoted to Raphaelle Peale’s still lifes. At the turn of the 18th century, when Peale was active, still life was regarded as a subject of secondary artistic concern. Today, when the still lifes of Paul Cézanne and Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse have been central to the accomplishments of modern painting, we can better appreciate the beginnings of conventional still-life painting in this country.

The catalog includes 32 paintings that represent Raphaelle’s highest achievement as a still-life painter, as well as a small selection of paintings by his father, Charles Wilson Peale; his uncle James; and his brother Rembrandt. Three essays examine Raphaelle Peale, his still lifes, and the Peale family in Philadelphia, and provide excerpts from original texts and family documents.