View of the Garden at Belfield 1816

Charles Willson Peale, a patriot, polymath, and portrait painter, likely made this painting of his garden, Belfield, with oil on canvas in the early 19th century. Here we see the American embrace of Enlightenment values. The garden, a carefully constructed landscape, embodies rational order imposed on the natural world. Peale sought to integrate art, science, and technology, reflecting his belief in progress and improvement. What’s more, in a republic that had thrown off monarchy, country estates were powerful symbols of elite status and good citizenship. Peale’s work invites inquiry into the social conditions that shape artistic production, as well as the politics of imagery. We might investigate the social history of gardening, exploring the circulation of botanical knowledge and the role of gardens in shaping social identity. Through careful research into such topics, we appreciate how an artwork's meaning is contingent on its historical context.