Jacob Eichholtz: A Pennsylvania Romantic Painter
Jacob Eichholtz (1776–1842) inhabited several worlds, or so his letter to fellow artist and historian of early American art, William Dunlap would suggest. Trained as an artisan, he successfully entered the world of fine art (Fig. 1). Born and raised in the small town of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, he was most at home in cosmopolitan Philadelphia. His is an American story and his success at navigating a path through his rapidly changing worlds brings America’s past into sharper relief.
Eichholtz began his career as a sign painter and a coppersmith. After several years making such things as copper teakettles and entryway signs, he ventured into portraiture in 1801. When noted portraitist Thomas Sully came to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to paint its leading citizens, Eichholtz gave the artist his “painting room” to use as a studio. Sully took Eichholtz under his wing, giving him painting supplies and offering advice. Eichholtz later wrote that “Chance about this time threw a painter into the town of my residence. This in a moment decided my fate as to the arts.” He painted mainly in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Maryland, and exhibited at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. (Rindge, “Jacob Eichholtz: 1776-1842,” in Kelly et al.,\n\n*American Paintings of the Nineteenth Century*, vol. I, 1996)
He married Catharine Hatz michael (1770–1817), a young widow with two children; they had four children of their own, caroline, catharine maria, rubens mayer, and margaret amelia. In 1818, he married catharine trissler of lancaster, and they had nine children, edward, anna maria, elizabeth susanna, benjamin west, angelica kauffman, rebecca, henry, robert lindsay, and lavallyn barry. In 1808-1812, Eichholtz hired several workers to work in the shop, and devoted most of his time on offering his fellow lancastrians, at first, painted tinware, and then, small profile portraits on wood panels, in order to diversify his business and satisfy his passion for drawing. After developing his abilities as profile painter and gaining enough clients to sustain his family, Eichholtz decided to make painting his main vocation. In 1808, James Peale visited lancaster and became acquainted with eichholtz, who commissioned peale his portrait. Thomas Sully befriended eichholtz when he was visiting lancaster on business and accepted his invitation to work in his painting room. At that time, sully was not impressed by eichholtz’s attempts in painting calling them hideous, however he left him his brushes as a gift before leaving lancaster. Later, sully wrote that he was surprised and gratified to see how much eichholtz's painting skills improved, and that, “eichholtz would have made a first-rate painter had he begun early in life with the usual advantages.” During the winter of 1811–1812, Eichholtz traveled to boston where he spent several weeks at the studio of gilbert stuart copying his works under stuart’s supervision. Stuart encouraged eichholtz to continue painting.
Eichholtz sold his business and turned to painting. In 1820, he visited baltimore to fulfill portrait commissions; he also worked in pittsburgh and delaware. In 1823, Eichholtz moved to philadelphia where he, as he later wrote, faced both, “an incessant practice of ten years, and constant employment.” He was exhibiting with the society of artists at the pennsylvania academy of the fine arts. Eichholtz relocated back to lancaster in 1830 where he died in 1842. He and his family were originally interred at holy trinity lutheran church on south duke street in lancaster, pennsylvania. In the early 1850s, holy trinity church sought to expand its churchyard, so the church relocated the majority of gravestones and the remains to the new woodward hill cemetery, lot 33 of area b, including the remains of eichholtz and his family. Eichholtz was reburied in the same grave together with both of his wives and their children. By 2014, Eichholtz’s gravestone, which was made of marble, had deteriorated due to age and acid rain, rendering the inscription illegible. Local historians have called for the restoration of his headstone, as well as the installation of a brass plaque at the grave site to mark his achievements. For decades the artistic legacy of jacob eichholtz was overlooked. As time passed, a reassessment of the significance of his achievements took place and “his portraits of thaddeus stevens and james buchanan are generally accepted as the best that were done of these statesmen.” More...
## Influences and Artistic Style
Jacob Eichholtz’s artistic style reflects the Romantic movement prevalent in America during his lifetime. He was profoundly impacted by artists like James Peale and Thomas Sully, who championed naturalism and psychological realism—a departure from the formal conventions of earlier portraiture. Peale's meticulous observation of anatomy and lighting techniques served as a model for Eichholtz’s approach to capturing human likeness with accuracy and sensitivity. Similarly, Sully encouraged Eichholtz to continue painting, emphasizing the importance of conveying emotion and character through visual representation. These influences shaped Eichholtz’s distinctive style—characterized by soft brushstrokes, subtle tonal gradations, and an emphasis on capturing the inner life of his subjects.
## Major Achievements and Legacy
Over a remarkable thirty-five-year career, Jacob Eichholtz produced more than 800 paintings—primarily portraits—establishing himself as one of Pennsylvania’s most prolific artists. His works are housed in prominent museums across the United States, including the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the National Gallery of Art, ensuring that his artistic legacy continues to inspire scholars and enthusiasts alike. Notably, Eichholtz's portraits of Thaddeus Stevens and James Buchanan stand out as masterpieces of Romantic portraiture—capturing not only physical likeness but also conveying the complex psychological states of these influential figures. His contribution to American art history is undeniable, cementing his place among the foremost painters of his era.
## Historical Context: The Romantic Era in America
The Romantic period in America (roughly 1800–1850) witnessed a surge of artistic creativity fueled by ideals of individualism, emotion, and imagination—a reaction against the Enlightenment’s emphasis on reason and scientific inquiry. Eichholtz's artistic endeavors coincided with this transformative cultural shift, reflecting the broader trends shaping intellectual and aesthetic sensibilities during his time. The burgeoning middle class embraced portraiture as a symbol of status and achievement, commissioning artists like Eichholtz to commemorate their families and celebrate their accomplishments—a testament to the era’s fascination with human experience and its desire to express profound feelings.
