Rembrandt Peale is best known for his life portraits of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, and, along with his father, Charles Willson Peale, is considered one of the foremost Maryland portraitists of his time. Charles Willson Peale, who painted Washington over sixty times, requested a sitting from the President at which Rembrandt could be present. Washington agreed, and in September, 1795, father and son painted his likeness. Rembrandt would paint several replicas of Washington over the course of his career.

Rembrandt played an invaluable role in the growth of Baltimore as a cultural center during the early years of the 19th century. He established and managed the Peale Museum, the first museum of its kind outside Philadelphia, from 1814 to 1822. This portrait was bequeathed to the Peabody Institute as part of the Charles J.M. Eaton Collection in 1893. It was previously exhibited at the Peale Museum in Baltimore and is now owned by the State of Maryland as part of the Peabody Collection.