In 1999, the Rosenbach acquired a portrait miniature by Anna Claypoole Peale (1791-1878), one of the many Peale family artists active in and around Philadelphia during the 18th and 19th centuries. Generously donated by Dr. and Mrs. Kenneth D. Rapoport of New York, this portrait complements other works by members of the Peale family in the Rosenbach's outstanding collection of portrait miniatures.

One of the first American women to achieve recognition as a successful professional artist, Anna Claypoole Peale's miniature work was shown in 1811 at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She was elected to the Academy in 1824, and exhibited there regularly through 1843. During the 1820s, she joined her father, James Peale, at the Washington museum and studio founded by her uncle, Charles Willson Peale, and enjoyed success as a portraitist in Washington, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York. Her portraiture commissions included President James Monroe, General Andrew Jackson, Henry Clay, and William Bainbridge. Like her father and uncle, Anna Claypoole Peale's oeuvre comprised still-lifes, landscapes, and full-sized portraits as well as more than 200 portrait miniatures.

The precise date of this miniature remains uncertain. The year is inscribed underneath Peale's ACP monogram, but only two digits are legible. According to scholar Ann Sue Hirshorn, this portrait appears to be quite early and has been dated to about 1805.

Certain elements of Peale's distinctive style may be observed by comparing this miniature with others in the Rosenbach collection. The background is laid down in thin, distinct strokes not unlike that of Peale's somewhat later portrait of Abraham J. Sellers. The curly locks of hair are meticulously and delicately rendered, as are the folds of fabric gathered by the jewelled brooch on the sitter's shoulder. The elongated neck and small shoulders are also characteristic of Peale's work, as evident in her 1820 portrait of Julia Rush. This unidentified sitter's relatively large head and awkward position in the frame also support an early date.

Peale's usual technique of modeling the face with a very fine cross-hatching here produces the effect of subtle modulation and soft, transparent shadows. As in the miniatures made by her father, James Peale, the luminosity of the skin was enhanced by placing a piece of foil behind the ivory in the area of the flesh. This foil reflects extra light back through the pigment and adds a warmth and depth to the image. The machine-turned metal frame appears to be contemporary with the portrait, although it may not have originally held this picture. The reverse of the ivory support bears an inscription: "Anna Claypoole Peale // Mrs. Staughton", but it is almost certainly not in Peale's hand. Mrs. Staughton was Anna's married name.

Most of the Rosenbach's portrait miniatures were acquired by Philip H. Rosenbach in his 1928 purchase of the collection assembled by Talbot Hughes. Over the years, additional miniatures, mostly American, have been added through purchase and donation. Among those acquired since the Rosenbach's 1954 incorporation as a public institution are Anna's picture of Julia Rush and a portrait attributed to her of Sally Etting.

The Rosenbach thanks Dr. and Mrs. Rapoport for their contribution to the miniature collection, as well as Ann Sue Hirshorn for her assistance in reconstructing the art historical context of the work.