James Peale James Peale ( 1749 – May 24 , 1831 ) was an American painter , best known for his miniature and still life paintings , and a younger brother of noted painter Charles Willson Peale . Biography . Peale was born in Chestertown , Maryland , the second child , after Charles , of Charles Peale ( 1709 – 1750 ) and Margaret Triggs ( 1709 – 1791 ) . His father died when he was an infant , and the family moved to Annapolis . In 1762 he began to serve apprenticeships there , first in a saddlery and later in a cabinetmaking shop . After his brother Charles returned from London in 1769 , where he had studied with Benjamin West , Peale served as his assistant and learned how to paint . Peale worked in his brother ' s studio until January 14 , 1776 , when he accepted a commission in the Continental Army as an ensign in William Smallwood ' s regiment . Within three months he was promoted to captain , and during the next three years fought in the battles of Long Island , White Plains , Trenton , Brandywine , Germantown , Princeton , and Monmouth . He resigned his army commission in 1779 , and moved to Philadelphia to live with his brother . ( One notable later collaboration , however , was in 1788 to make floats for Philadelphia ' s Federal Procession in honor of the newly drafted United States Constitution . ) Marriage . In 1782 he married Mary Claypoole ( 1753 - 1828 ) , a daughter of James Claypoole ( 1721 - 1784 ) and sister of portrait painter James Claypoole Jr . ( ca 1743 - 1822 ) , after which he established his own household and artistic career . They had six children . James Peale , Jr . ; Anna Claypoole Peale Duncan ; Margaretta Angelica Peale ; Sarah Miriam Peale ; Maria Peale ; and , Sophinisba Peale . Three of his six children became accomplished painters : Anna Claypoole Peale ( 1798 – 1871 ) , a miniaturist and still - life painter ; Margaretta Angelica Peale ( 1795 – 1882 ) , painter of trompe l ’ oeil subjects and tabletop fruit ; and Sarah Miriam Peale ( 1800 – 1885 ) , a portraitist and still - life painter . His daughter Maria Peale also became a painter of still lifes , though of less distinction than her sisters . Career . At the outset of his career Peale painted portraits and still - life , and by the mid - 1780s had established his reputation . At about this time , however , Charles turned over his own miniature portrait practice to him , and throughout the 1790s and early 19th century Peale devoted himself to miniature painting . Much of this work was watercolor on ivory . In 1795 Peale exhibited a still life of fruit along with nine miniatures and his family portrait at the Columbianum , a short - lived art academy in Philadelphia . Around 1810 , as Peale ' s eyesight began to weaken , he gave up painting miniatures to turn to large portraits and still - life subjects that were greatly admired and widely exhibited in Philadelphia , Boston , and Baltimore . The total number of Peale ' s landscape paintings remains unknown , but he executed more than 200 watercolor miniatures on ivory , perhaps 100 still - life paintings , fewer than 70 oil portraits , and at least 8 history paintings . Death . Peale died in Philadelphia on May 24 , 1831 and is buried at Gloria Dei ( Old Swedes ' ) Church cemetery along with this wife and six children .