Artwork
Anthony Butler
Anthony Butler is a watercolor painting by the American Impressionist artist Charles Willson Peale. It dates from 1782 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Charles Willson Peale's 1782 portrait, Anthony Butler, is a watercolor on ivory. This intimate work, part of The American Wing, captures its subject with a calm demeanor. Peale, a significant American artist of his time, frequently documented individuals connected to the Revolutionary era, and this piece exemplifies his skill in rendering detailed and personal likenesses on a small scale.
Technique & Style
The artist rendered Anthony Butler's face with a high degree of realism, emphasizing his gentle features and calm expression.
Executed with watercolor on a delicate ivory support, this portrait showcases Peale's meticulous attention to detail. The artist rendered Anthony Butler's face with a high degree of realism, emphasizing his gentle features and calm expression. Soft colors contribute to the work's peaceful atmosphere, creating a quiet and personal moment. The precise brushwork on the simple clothing further enhances the lifelike quality of the depiction.
Context
Charles Willson Peale was a prominent American artist during the late 18th century, known for his extensive portraiture. Active in both military and political spheres during the Revolutionary War, Peale played a crucial role in visually documenting many key figures of the period. Anthony Butler reflects this broader practice, serving as a record of an individual from an era of significant historical transformation, rendered by an artist deeply embedded in its events.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Willson Peale (April 15, 1741 – February 22, 1827) was an American painter, military officer, scientist, and naturalist.
