Charles Willson Peale

Charles Willson Peale (1741, 1827) was a prominent American painter best known for his portraits of leading figures of the American Revolution, including multiple likenesses of George Washington. Beyond painting, he was a polymath who founded the Peale Museum in Philadelphia, one of the first natural history museums in the United States. He was also a military officer, scientist, and naturalist who made significant contributions to early American cultural life.