The American painter Raphaelle Peale (1774-1825) left a legacy of vibrantly beautiful still lifes depicting objects such as fruit, vegetables, and meat. In this lively and literate study, the first book-length exploration of the artist, Alexander Nemerov presents a radical new reading of these paintings focusing on the uncanny quality of Raphaelle's still-life objects. Nemerov argues that the physical presence of these objects is not strictly their own but that of the artist's body. This imagery of embodiment, Nemerov argues, relates deeply to Raphaelle's own time. "The Body of Raphaelle Peale" focuses on not just Raphaelle's paintings but also the visual and intellectual culture of early-nineteenth-century Philadelphia, to which these works intimately relate. More broadly, the book presents a reading of romanticism in the American visual arts. Above all, it is an argument about selfhood in Raphaelle's era. Raphaelle's focus - in paintings both playful and morbid - was the pleasures and horrors of being a mere body, of being less than a self. Nemerov's primary source of evidence in this study is Raphaelle's art itself. After considering its theoretical and historical implications, he returns to the images, deftly guiding us to a fresh understanding of these remarkable paintings. Nemerov's formal analysis is infused with a sophisticated awareness of interdisciplinary issues, and he gracefully balances the formal, the theoretical, and the historical throughout his narrative. This beautifully illustrated study is sure to stimulate renewed appreciation of an exceptional American artist.

About the Author
Alexander Nemerov is Vincent Scully Professor of the History of Art at Yale University and the author of Frederic Remington and Turn-of-the-Century America (1995).

Reviews
"A triumph of interpretation!... The Body of Raphaelle Peale will no doubt spark the beginning of an exciting revival of scholarship in American Romantic painting. At the same time, the book instructs even the most sophisticated critic in the fine art of how to read still life paintings." -Bryan J. Wolf, author of Romantic Re-Vision: Culture and Consciousness in American Painting and Literature "Through close interrogation of these small, hermetic images, Nemerov's book reveals the whole world of early America, in the process bringing us as close as possible to the genius of Raphaelle Peale." -David C. Ward, The Peale Family Papers, National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution "This is a dazzling study, lively and imaginative, of an important body of work. Nemerov's novel arguments regarding still life in general and Raphaelle Peale in particular reveal much about the art, the man, and the times. It is a thoughtful and provocative book, certain to generate interest and debate." -Charles C. Eldridge, Hall Distinguished Professor of American Art and Culture, University of Kansas"



Book Information
ISBN 9780520224988
Author Alexander Nemerov
Format Hardback
Page Count 274
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 1089g
Dimensions(mm) 254mm * 203mm * 26mm