A Rose By Any Other Name

 

Portrait of Rembrandt’s brother Rubens Peale

As I was looking through my postage stamps and pondering ideas for February post, I came across an interesting stamp featuring the art of Rembrandt Peale. I was quite interested in his unique name. How did an American artist born February 22, 1778 come by such an appropriate name? I wondered did he change his name himself after he became an artist or did he decide to live up to his artistic name and pursue art?

Rembrandt Peale’s Washington

My research revealed that Rembrandt’s father, famed Revolutionary War painter Charles Wilson Peale, named many of his children after famous artists. Rembrandt’s siblings included Raphaelle Peale, Rubens Peale, Titian Peale, Angelica Kauffman Peale and Sophonisaba Angusciola Peale to name a few of the Peale clan named after artists!! Charles taught all of the children how to draw and paint from an early age. How interesting to me that these Peale offspring went on to become artists in their own right. Rembrandt in particular became a famous portrait artist and painted over 600 paintings. Some of his subjects included George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon Bonaparte, James Monroe and John Marshall. 

All of this interesting discovery got me interested in the power of a name. Names are deeply important to us. As a labor and delivery nurse I often bear witness to the careful deliberations of parents as they choose a  name for their fresh offspring. As a witness to birth over the past 30 years I have noticed there are definitely trends and fashion in names. 

Names have a way of rooting us to our history and establishing our identity. But does it really matter? Do we become what we’re called or are we called what we already are? I am always fascinated by the symbolic importance of the names in the Bible. It is full of names and name changes that are wrought with meaning. 

The poem, Each Man Has A Name by the Jewish poet Zelda, is beautiful and thought provoking...

Each of us has a name given by God 

And given by our parents. 

Each of us has a name given by our stature 

And our smile and given by what we wear. 

Each of us has a name given by the stars 

And given by our neighbors. 

Each of us has a name given by our sins 

And given by our longing.

Each of us has a name given by our enemies

And given by our love.

Each of us has a name given by our celebrations

And given by our work. 

Each of us has a name given by the seasons

And given by our blindness.

Each of us has a name given by the sea

And given by our death. 

I thought of sending some snailmail in celebration of names. We all have interesting stories about why we were given our names or why we chose our children’s names. Do you have any interesting names in your family tree? Why not share the story with your pen pal? I’m sure it would make quite an interesting letter!!

Did you know I have a relative called Napoleon Bonaparte Whitley in my family tree? I wonder how tall he was? 🤔

Go postal, people! 

XOXO,

Mrs. Murphy