William W. Welch

1837·Oil on canvas·64.8 × 54.6 cm (25 1/2 × 21 1/2 in.)

Sheldon Peck rendered the distinctive likenesses of his two sitters, William and Phebe Welch, using hard-edged lines and modeled forms (see <a href="https://www.artic.edu/artworks/76166/phebe-russell-swain-welch">Phebe Russell Swain Welch</a>, 1990.100.2). Amid a dark setting, the couple’s intense gazes hold our attention. Their names and dates of birth are inscribed in golden yellow paint, emphasizing their identities. The Welches were among the white settler-colonialists who established homesteads in Illinois in the early 19th century. Beginning in 1834, they lived near Elgin along the Fox River. Peck likewise has a local history. Born in Vermont, he lived in New York before moving to Babcock’s Grove (today Lombard, Illinois), where he worked as a farmer, portraitist, and social reformer.

Catalogue

Year: 1837
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 64.8 × 54.6 cm (25 1/2 × 21 1/2 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Sheldon Peck

Artist

Sheldon Peck

Painting

Sheldon Peck was an American folk artist, conductor on the Underground Railroad, and social activist. Peck's portraiture – with its distinctive style – is a prime example of 19th century American folk art. He also become known for advocating abolitionism, racial equality, temperance, public education, women's rights, and pacifism.

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