page_title: Sheldon Peck
section_title: Illinois Period, 1836 - 1869
hierarchical_section_title: Sheldon Peck / Artwork / Illinois Period, 1836 - 1869
caption_attribution_description: English: Sheldon Peck (American painter, 1797-1868) The John G. Wagner Family
context_page_description: Sheldon Peck was an American folk artist, conductor on the Underground Railroad, and social activist. Peck's portraiture – with its distinctive style — is a prime example of 19th century American folk art. He also become known for advocating abolitionism, racial equality, temperance, public education, women's rights, and pacifism.
context_section_description: In 1836 Peck moved to Chicago where he lived for only a few months before moving once again and settling in Babcock's Grove. Once in Illinois, Peck abandoned wood panels in favor of canvas. During his first years in the state, Peck continued to paint half-length portraits similar to those he had painted back East.
  It is in Illinois, however, that the most radical shift in Peck's work occurs. About 1845 daguerreotypes were gaining in popularity in the United States. To compete against photography and the advantages it offered, Peck introduced a brighter color palette to his work. He also employed a horizontal format, which featured multiple full length figures, their arrangement taking cues from photography. (see image at right) Additionally, Peck would add a trompe l'oeil frame painted directly onto the canvas. This was likely done to reduce the overall cost of the painting by sparing the customer the expense of having the canvas framed.
caption: John J. Wagner Family. Wagner was a fellow abolitionist; the newspaper he's holding is the anti-slavery Western Citizen.
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