Juan J. Peoli and family

The following is taken from the book titled "Catalogue of the Fine Art Collection Formed by the late J. J. Peoli, Artist", 1894, The American Art Association, New York, which I found in the Getty Musuem Library.

" JOHN J. PEOLI, an artist of this city, died of pneumonia at Sagua la Grande, Cuba, on July 8th. Mr. Peoli was born in New York on October 1, 1825, and shortly afterward moved to Havana with his, parents. He began his art studies in. the Royal Academy of San Alejandro. His proficiency gained him the prize by which he was entitled to a scholarship in Rome, where he studied for eight years under Minardi, finishing at Madrid and at Paris. Returning to Cuba he assumed charge of the chair of art in the Empresa School, Matanzas. He returned with his family to this city in 1861. One of his latest works was a portrait of Venezuela's hero, General Paez, and at the time of his death a partly finished life-size portrait of General Sickles was on his easel.

"The collection of water-colors, etchings, and engravings which Mr. Peoli had gathered was one of the finest in the United States.  His home in New York was at No. 317 West Fifty-eighth Street, and his summer home at Sandy Hill, on the Hudson. He left New York on June 6th with one son to settle his Estate Resulta, in Cuba. He leaves a widow, four sons, and two daughters."-" Obituary " from the New York Herald, July 17, 1893.

Mr. Peoli was the son of natives of the city of Caraccas, Venezuela. The family were originally from Corsica. At the age of three years he was taken by his parents to Havana, and there, at the age of twelve,  began the study of art. Two years later he won the first prize at the Royal Academy, which entitled him to a scholarship in Rome, Italy,  where he studied during a period of eight years. The work which gained him the scholarship was a portrait of himself in black and white crayon, and is now shown with others of his works. Several years more were passed in arduous study in France and Spain. In Madrid he painted portraits of the Royal Infanta Dona Josefa de Borbon, the Royal Infante Don Enrique de Borbon, and of Don Jose Guel y Rente' (husband of the above-mentioned Infanta), and several others of the royal family. A portrait of the noted General Prim had been commenced, but the artist's sudden recall to Cuba prevented its completion. In one of the churches of Madrid is at Madonna painted by the artist. On his return to Havana, in competitive exhibition two of his paintings were awarded a silver medal-highest prize-to each. He painted many portraits of the principal men of the island, and won in marriage Dona Antonia Alfonso y Madan. In 1864 he came to the United States and made New York City his home.

In Rome he enjoyed the friendship of many prominent artists.  Among them were P. Clave, for many years director of the Academy of Fine Arts in the city of Mexico; Philip Koelman, Ponciano Ponzano ; R. Baize, who was then and is still employed by the French government on copies of noted Italian paintings. While in Italy he fought under Garibaldi in the ranks of the Art Students' League, at the time of the French invasion.

His earliest " collecting " of art dates from his eighteenth year,  prompted, doubtless, by the inheritance of some old paintings, of which a few are in this collection. His continuous study of the Old ,  Masters quickened his perception, and formed for him an artistic taste for the good and worthy, which is shown in the perfect selection he has made for his collection ; his fluency in modern languages aided him greatly in the formation of a library of references which is replete with the literature of art and artistic works.

He practiced in all the methods of oils and water-colors. He lithographed and etched, and was thoroughly conversant with all kinds and processes of engraving on wood and metal, and he also modeled in clay. Many of the specimens catalogued, rare and most valuable, were purchased from celebrated collections and are stamped with their well-known "marks," which to collectors add greatly to the value of engravings and " Old Masters' Drawings."

The wealth of the collection may be indicated partly in stating that 137 engravers of note, their pupils and followers, are represented, beside others chronologically valuable. Thus there are in numbers, viz.: Altdorfer, 25 ; Berghem, 40 ; Cantarini, 50 ; Albert Durer, 150;  Goltzius, 35 ; Lucas Van Leyden, 50; Marc Antonio, 60 ; Van Ostade, 75; Raphael Morghen, 40 ; Rembrandt, 134 ; Ribera, 50, etc., etc., as per catalogue.

In drawings the same list will nearly hold good : Boucher, DUrer,  Goltzius, L. Van Leyden, Raphael, Paul Veronese, Van Dyck, Rubens, Rosa Bonheur, Calame, Corot, Delacroix, Diaz, Goya, Jacque, Horace Vernet, Ary Scheffer, Pils, and others.

In water-colors, about 275 in number, many are by most eminent masters.

In oils: Bassan, Corot, Diaz, Etty, Fragonard, Raphael, Pils, Copley, Melby, Ribera, Verboeckhoven, and others.

The collection is worth the attention of connoisseurs whether for private purchase or as donations to public museums, which sadly need such material as is here offered.

The mark  J. PEOLI. used by Mr. Peoli has been stamped on all the engravings, drawings, and water-colors.  (The Mark is J. PEOLI in the middle of, and encircled by, an artist's pallet.)

 

From the same book there is a clued in small paper pamphlet, which was probably from the auction.  The following is taken from it.

"The artist, J. J. PEOLI, was born in New York City, 1825 of   Venezuelan parents.  At Havana, Cuba, in his twelfth year, he began the study of Art.  When fourteen, he won "first prize" at the Royal Academy of San Alejandro-the privilege of Scholarship in Rome. Italy. There he remained eight years under the celebrated Minardi.  From Rome he went to France and Spain, where he spent several years.  While in Madrid, he painted portraits of a number of the Royal Family, and a Madonna for one of the churches. Returning to Havana, he won the highest prize, a Silver Medal. He painted many portraits of notable people.  While in Italy, he was one of the members of the "Art Students- League," which formed a regiment, and as such fought under Garibaldi. Mr. Peoli was married in Cuba, and in 1864 returned to the United States, making his home in New York.

At eighteen years of age, he began collecting works of fine art especially " Old Masters." Continuing the pursuit, he bought engravings. etchings, designs, water-colors. lithographs and paintings in almost, all the countries of Europe ; his last visit being from 1875 to 1878, devoting then much time to Paris and  its art facilities for study.  His art practice was not alone in "oils." He successfully produced book-illustrations, lithographs, etchings, and modeled bas-reliefs, so that he had a knowledge and practical experience invaluable to a collector of art, but seldom attained. The literature of  art was familiar to him, and his valuable library of reference,  with his prolonged study in the great museums, aided his intelligent decision in his acquisitions.

     Chronologically, from the 15th century down to very recent date, and alphabetically, the specimens include almost every name known and valued. Many bear the "stamp" of most renowned collections, private and public, and offer a rare chance for connoisseurs. The entire collection would be a valuable nucleus for any public museum in our own country, could it be kept entire, as a result of fifty years' well directed labor."

 

From "Abroad in America: Visitors to the New Nation 1776-1914" Essay by Jose de Onis on Jose Marti, published by the Smithsonian Institution

"Upon his (Jose Marti) arrival in New York on January 1, 1880, he found a number of Venezuelan and Cuban families who had resolved most of the difficulties of immigration and had begun to play an important role in the cultural life of the city.  Among the most distinguished of these families was that of Juan J. Peoli, whose home near Columbus Circle became a meeting place for the finest artists and writers of both Americas.  Jose Marti became a close friend of the entire family.  He was bound to them not only by cultural ties, but by values and ideologies as well; for the Peoli family tradition was imbued with the spirit of many generations of European, South American and Cuban revolutionaries.  The relationship between Marti and Carmita Miyares; one of the cousins, was by no means a simple love affair; there existed between them artistic and political affinities, very deep and difficult to define.

          In this home, where on the walls hung the portraits Peoli had painted of Jose Paez, the Venezuelan hero of the battle of Carabobo, and General Sickles (who, as Marti said, "won the battle of Gettysburg with an overwhelming assault"), the nineteenth-century ideals of the Liberal Revolution still burned strongly.  Marti had spent most of his life outside Cuba and was therefore unable to meet personally many of the Cuban heroes of the previous generation.  Juan J. Peoli, on the other hand, had known them all, and through him, Marti became acquainted with their ideas. The Peoli home was the point of confluence between Venezuelans and Cubans.  Among the most frequent guests were the colorful Jose Paez and his circle of admirers. It was often the meeting place for the Hispanic Literary Society of which Marti, for a time, was president.

          One day Tomas Callazo, a friend of the Peolis, proposed that Marti write articles on art and culture for a weekly newspaper, The Hour, published in New York. It was in this publication that some of Marti's first impressions of the United States appeared."

 

Here are some original Ship manifests that have the Peoli family travels.  I am interested in contacting anyone interested in the Juan J. Peoli family.

Dave Holcomb [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Port of Departure  Havana, Cuba 

The Country that they severally belong  Spain

Country that they intend to become inhabitants  Cuba

Ship Name Liberty

Arrival Date 25 Aug 1864 

 

Name                           Age                  Estimated Birth Year                 Gender             Occupation

J Peoli                          32                                1832                            Male                Artist

Mrs. Peoli                    28                                1836                            Female 

Laura Peoli                   7                                  1857                            Female         

Antonio Peoli                6                                  1858                            Male 

Juan Peoli                     5                                  1859                            Male 

Daniel Peoli                  4                                  1860                            Male 

Albert Peoli                  3                                  1861                            Male 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Port of Departure  Liverpool, England and Queenstown, Ireland 

Place of Origin United States of America 

Destination United States of America 

Ship Name Scythia

Arrival Date 6 Aug 1878 

 

Name                                       Estimated Birth Year                 Gender             Occupation      

Mr. John Peoli 52                    1826                            Male                Artist

Mrs. Peoli                    44                    1834                            Female             Wife

Miss. M Peoli               22                    1856                            Female             ???

Miss. L Peoli                18                    1860                            Female            

Mr. J Peoli                   20                    1857                            Male                ?Student

Mr. D Peoli                  19                    1859                            Male 

Mr. A Peoli                  14                    1864                            Male

Mr. M Peoli                 13                    1865                            Male   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Port of Departure: Havana

Date of Arrival: December 22, 1892

Ship of Travel: Yumuri

 

 

A FAMILY TREASURE FOUND
January, 2008

I came about this picture by chance. I found a book on Ancestry.com that had a small reference that "Many of the c. 1870 photographs of Sandy Hill and Kingsbury were taken by John Peoli." Knowing that Juan Peoli and family had a summer residence in Sandy Hill, I ordered the book thinking that the John might be the son of Juan Peoli. When the book, "Images of America Kingsbury and Hudson Falls," came I was very surprised. It included this picture, less the names(cropped), with the caption "Many of the c. 1870 photographs of Sandy Hill and Kingsbury were taken by John Peoli, pictured here with his family. A friend of the Paris family, Peoli was a photographer from Argentina. He spent the Argentinean winters in Sandy Hill, where it was summer." So I contacted the author, Paul R. Loding and he informed me where he got his information and told me how to get in contact with the Washington County(NY) Historians Office, which was his source. I contacted Loretta Bates, the county historian, and learned of Juan's apparent interest in photography and learned that the office had about 40 of his pictures. Most are of landscapes but a few are of the town folks. I cleared up the mis-information about being Argentinean, Juan/John was born in NY of Venezuelan parents. Juan J. Peoli had a 1400 acre sugar cane plantation in the Matanzas Province of Cuba called "Triumverato" which is where he and the family might have gone during the winter from time to time. Sandy Hill was always known, in the family, as a summer residence, with New York City as Juan's principle address and studio. A true family treasure found. Picture used with the permission of the Washington County Historian's Office, thanks!