Peale came to painting after unsuccessful apprenticeships as a saddlemaker, clockmaker and metalworker. Once he discovered his talent, he studied portraiture with John Singleton Copley followed by three years in England with Benjamin West. Returning to the Colonies, he became an ardent patriot and moved to Philadelphia. He joined the Pennsylvania militia, fought during the war. He painted portraits of many of the officers. After the war, he reestablished his portrait painting business in Philadelphia. Possibly to aid in the marketing, he displayed many of the portraits in the ground floor of his home which proved popular, so much so that he opened the Philadelphia Museum and began to charge admission. The collection quickly expanded beyond paintings to embrace natural history, models, artifacts. Peale began to offer programs as well.
