Artwork
Samuel Mifflin
Samuel Mifflin is an oil painting by the American Impressionist artist Charles Willson Peale. It dates from 1778 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Charles Willson Peale's 1778 oil portrait depicts Samuel Mifflin, a man shown holding a book.
Charles Willson Peale's 1778 oil portrait depicts Samuel Mifflin, a man shown holding a book. The inclusion of the book functions as a conventional iconographic attribute in late-eighteenth-century Anglo-American portraiture, signaling literacy, intellectual cultivation, and the sitter's standing among the educated mercantile and civic elite of Revolutionary-era Philadelphia. By pairing Mifflin's likeness with this attribute, Peale presents the subject as a man of letters and public consequence rather than merely recording his physical appearance.
As a formal portrait, the work's meaning centers on commemorating Mifflin's individual identity and social position, with the book serving as the principal symbolic device conveying his character and accomplishments to the viewer.
Technique & Style
The portrait of Samuel Mifflin by Charles Willson Peale employs oil on canvas as its medium, executed in 1778. The composition emphasizes the sitter’s engagement with a book, suggesting intellectual engagement, while the formal attire and direct gaze align with portrait conventions of the period. The handling reflects Peale’s characteristic precision in rendering facial features and fabric textures, particularly in the crisp delineation of the sitter’s face and the structured folds of his clothing.
The work’s stylistic qualities, balanced composition, restrained palette, and careful attention to detail, typify late 18th-century American portraiture, emphasizing verisimilitude and social status. No condition reports are provided in the sources.
History & Provenance
The portrait of Samuel Mifflin was created by Charles Willson Peale in 1778. Executed in oil on canvas, the work measures 126.4 cm in height and 101 cm in width. The painting depicts Mifflin holding a book, capturing the subject as a man of letters.
It is currently held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified within The American Wing. While the specific commission details and the full chain of ownership prior to its museum acquisition are not detailed in the available records, the work's inception is firmly dated to 1778. The piece remains a significant example of Peale's portraiture from the late 18th century, preserving the likeness of the historical figure.
Samuel Mifflin, painted by Charles Willson Peale in 1778, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is listed under the classification “The American Wing.” The work is part of the museum’s collection, though specific inventory or accession numbers are not provided in the cited records. Its provenance is tied to the museum’s holdings, and no exhibition history is documented in the available sources.
The painting depicts Samuel Mifflin holding a book, rendered in oil on canvas, and is catalogued as a portrait within the museum’s American portrait genre.
Overview
This oil on canvas painting, titled Samuel Mifflin, presents a formal portrait of a man seated amidst books. The subject, identified as Samuel Mifflin, a prominent merchant from Philadelphia, is depicted with a serious expression and dressed in period attire. The composition emphasizes his intellectual or professional standing through the surrounding literary elements.
Context
The painting's inclusion within a collection designated as "The American Wing" underscores its significance as a piece of American art history. Samuel Mifflin's identity as a Philadelphia merchant further grounds the work in a specific cultural and economic milieu of colonial or early republican America, reflecting the patronage and social structures of the time.
Artist & collection
Artist
Charles Willson Peale (April 15, 1741 – February 22, 1827) was an American painter, military officer, scientist, and naturalist.
