Rembrandt and Harriet Peale Papers
name: label: Collection Creator
content: Peale, Rembrandt, 1778-1860
label: Collection Creator
content: Peale, Harriet Cany, ca. 1800-1869
setName: label: See more items in
content: Rembrandt and Harriet Peale collection
unitdate: label: Date
content: circa 1820-1932
dataSource: label: Archival Repository
content: Archives of American Art
identifier: label: Identifier
content: AAA.pealremb, Series 1
objectType: label: Type
content: Archival materials
scopecontent: label: Scope and Contents note
content: Letters from Rembrandt Peale discuss his Patriae Pater portrait and the equestrian portrait of Washington that he hoped would be commissioned by Congress following the acclaim that Patriae Pater received.

A typescript for Peale's address on "Washington and his Portraits" that was read before the New York Historical Society on June 16, 1857 is accompanied by a typescript of the address copied by George Tatham. Several handwritten pages and apparent additions or changes to the address are not included in the typescript.

Calling cards are for Harriet Peale and Miss L. C. Herring. Miss Herring's card is found with a 1932 receipt from Miss Louise C. Herring to Richard M. Fielding marked "sold" for a portrait of George Washington attributed to Rembrandt Peale, one "pencil scale" of Washington by Rembrandt Peale, and one self portrait by him. There is also a copy of a receipt for an 1863 money loan to Harriet Peale.

A manuscript, handwritten by Peale, with transcription, entitled "Portrait of Washington," repeats some of the sentiments Peale expressed in an 1825 letter to Elijah Hunt Mills, including his belief in the importance of supporting the fine arts, especially painting, which he believes "is capable of exciting the sentiments of Patriotism in a degree only secondary to Eloquence." Another handwritten manuscript appears to be an introduction to drawings "in this Book" by pupils in a Philadelphia high school.

Legal papers include two codicils to Harriet Peale's will which list the disposition of Rembrandt Peale paintings in her possession. Printed material includes a catalog of sale for Harriet Peale's estate listing the Rembrandt Peale paintings held by her at the time of her death. An additional catalog of sale is for the property of a household in Philadelphia whose owner is not identified.

Additional printed material includes a pamphlet about Peale's painting The Court of Death, as well as news clippings relating to Peale, his paintings, the Peale family and portraits of George Washington.

Artwork consists of ink drawings by Peale of Roman coins on a page affixed to two prints glued side by side on the verso of the drawings.

Photographs consist of photo cards containing two prints of the same negative from M. B. Brady's studio of a portrait of Rembrandt Peale and one photograph on a photo card of Harriet Peale.