“From the Archives” — Crucifixion Painting Update

For many years, the Crucifixion painting that once hung behind the altar at Saint Mary was attributed to Rembrandt Peale, an American artist known for his portraits of presidents, including George Washington and Thomas Jefferson. The theory that the painting at Saint Mary was done by Peale came from a July 16, 1857, article in The Alexandria Gazette: “Opposite the main entrance is a fine large painting of the Crucifixion by Rembrandt Peale[.]” Photos of the sanctuary from as early as 1895 seem to show this very painting.

Later, however, researchers at Georgetown debunked the attribution to Rembrandt Peale, saying the painting was instead done by an Italian artist, “M. Dies,” and was a copy of a painting hanging in the church of Saint John the Evangelist in Frederick, Maryland. However, after doing a bit more digging in Georgetown’s archives, and translating correspondences written in Italian, we now know the painting mentioned in the 1857 article and the painting depicted in the old photographs are two different works of art!

The Crucifixion painting (1928 photo on the right) for Saint Mary’s sanctuary was commissioned by Father Denis J. O’Kane, pastor from 1872 to 1891 and the last Jesuit pastor of the parish. He paid $300 for the work, which specifically depicted the moment when Jesus said, “Woman, behold thy son.” The artist was Aristide Dies, a gifted, late-19th-century Roman painter and talented copy-artist. For the painting at Saint Mary, he was given the option of copying a painting or creating an original. Whether he chose to reproduce an existing painting, or create one of his own, we don’t know. In any case, Father O’Kane couldn’t help but compare the painting at Saint Mary to the one in Frederick, saying he preferred the one in Maryland! His superior chastised him, stating, “Comparisons, dear Father, are odious.” After renovations to the sanctuary in the 1940s, this painting was lost after it was removed and replaced with the crucifix now hanging above the altar.

But what happened to the earlier painting mentioned in 1857, attributed to Rembrandt Peale? That, for now, remains a mystery. In a letter from Father O’Kane to his superior, he mentions “returning you your painting sooner.” Was he talking about the Peale painting? Was it sent up the Potomac to Georgetown? Or perhaps given to another Jesuit parish? If you have any clues, please let us know!

— Virginia Nyce, Parish Curator