Peter Grain

Peter Grain (c. 1785 – 1857) was a French-American artist who achieved success in the United States. Known for his panoramas, landscapes, portraits, dioramas, portrait miniatures, and theatrical designs, he was also an architect and the author of at least one stage play. His family was involved in theatrical design in New York, Philadelphia and other major American cities for at least two generations.

Early life

Born in France, a company which toured the United States from 1807 until 1815. On August 2, 1809, Pépin and Breschard presented his play Billy, or the Reward of a Good Action in New York City. This "New Pantomime" included "combats" on horseback, making it an early example of hippodrama. Grain was cast as the title character. His billing as "Mr. Grain" can be seen in other advertisements for the company's 1809 season.

Painting Grain's earliest recognition as a painter occurred in Maryland in 1815, where he created a setting for The Hero of the North; or, The Deliverer of His Country performed by an amateur company in Washington, D.C. The setting included the Star Spangled Banner and portrayed Fort McHenry and the "Victory of Lake Champlain." While on its national tour, the moving panorama made a stop in Ann Arbor, Michigan, where "an astonished village looked at it for twenty-five cents a head."

At the present time View of New York from Jersey City (with Windmill), 1835, an oil painting, is in the collection of the Museum of the City of New York. Grain is mentioned in the National Gallery of Art provenance of a portrait by Gilbert Stuart, The Circus Rider. He is listed as owning the painting in the mid-19th century. The identification of the sitter in the portrait is disputed.

Architectural work The Lafayette Theatre in New York City (originally the Lafayette Circus) was redesigned by Grain in 1827. The circus ring was replaced and an inclined plane was added to give it a rake similar to modern theatres. At the time it was the largest theatre in both the United States and the United Kingdom.

Family of artists Three of Grain's sons also became artists: Peter Grain, Jr., George, and Urban A. Grain.

Footnotes