Winterthur acquires rare Peale works ahead of 2027 exhibition

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library has acquired eight rare works and personal correspondence, mostly from Mary Jane Peale (1827–1902), strengthening its Peale family collection before a major 2027 exhibition. The acquisition includes Winterthur's first miniature by Anna Claypoole Peale, first work by Rubens Peale, first Peale landscape, and first portraits of Mary Jane, Rubens, and Charles Willson Peale. These objects enhance the museum's ability to tell a more comprehensive story of the Peale dynasty, which included Charles Willson Peale, his siblings, children, and grandchildren, as well as Moses Williams, a formerly enslaved person.