Diné (Navajo)
Tree of Life Weaving, ca. 1910s–1920s
Wool tapestry weave
TL 2022.7.2
A.M.G.
American
Show Towel, ca. 1800–1825
Linen plain weave with cotton embroidery and cutwork; applied fringe
Made in Pennsylvania
The Randolph McCoach Collection, Gift of Hampton C. Randolph, Sr., 1991. (1991.39.103)
American
Trotting Horse, mid- to late 1800s
Hammered copper, tin wash and gold leaf
Purchase: The Gift of John and Fannie Saeger, 1973. (1973.3)
John Valentine Haidt
American, born Germany, 1700–1780
Erstlingsbild (“First Fruits”), ca. 1754–1760
Oil on canvas
Made in Bethlehem, PA
Loan from the Moravian Archives
Benjamin West
American, 1738–1820, active in Britain
Return of the Prodigal Son, 1772
Oil on canvas
Made in London
Purchase: Priscilla Payne Hurd Endowment Fund, 2002. (2002.19)
The dramatic light and expressive poses of father and son in this work by Benjamin West contrast with Haidt’s painting at right. West actually took lessons from Haidt as a teen, and his earlier work resembled Haidt’s style. After study in Italy, however, he mastered the realism and subtlety of academic painting, and settled in London where he met great success.
A generation of American artists would travel to London to train with West—including Gilbert Stuart and Rembrandt Peale, whose works are at left.
Gilbert Stuart
American, 1755–1828
Ann Penn Allen, ca. 1795
Oil on canvas
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Purchase: The Gift of John and Fannie Saeger, 1978. (1978.13)
Rembrandt Peale
American, 1778–1860
Erinna, ca. 1830s
Oil on canvas
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Purchase: General Acquisitions Fund; the Gift of Paul Kania; and the Gift of Sam and Missy Saxton, 2002. (2002.22)
American
Sideboard, ca. 1795
Mahogany veneer with satinwood inlay
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Gift of Estate of Robert C. Alexander, 1988.
(1988.14.3)
Chinese, for export to Western market
Urns, ca. 1790
Porcelain with enamel overglaze decoration
Gift of Mrs. William P. Hacker, 1981.
(1981.25.1, 2a, b)
The unique shape and delicate decoration of these urns illustrate Chinese artists’ skill in producing porcelain for a Western audience. Using prints and painted wooden models provided by European merchants, Chinese artists created export goods that suited current fashions halfway around the world. On these urns, details like floral swags and faux-woodgrain bases cater to the taste for designs inspired by ancient Greece and Rome.
The United States became a leading importer of Chinese porcelain soon after independence.
E.W.
American
Unfinished Sampler, early 1800s
Linen plain weave with silk cross stitch
embroidery
Gift of Mrs. William P. Hacker, 1979. (1979.80.49)
The monochrome geometric border of this unfinished sampler is typical of needlework made at Quaker schools, which emphasized simplicity and practicality.
Mary Lea
American, 1786–1802
Sampler, 1802
Linen plain weave with silk stem and straight
stitch embroidery
Made in West Chester, PA
Gift of Mrs. William P. Hacker, 1979. (1979.80.33)
Inscription: Be sovereign grace the guardian of my youth / May Heaven-born virtue in my breast preside / While wisdom, honor, innocence, and truth / attend my steps, and all my actions guide.
Fifteen-year-old Mary Lea made this sampler while at Westtown School, a Quaker academy. Its alphabet and pious verse illustrate her literacy, needlework skills, and moral upbringing—much like the samplers made by many young American women during this era. However, Lea’s sampler is distinctive in its lack of color and minimal decoration, which are in keeping with Quaker values of plainness. In this era, Quakers typically avoided bright colors and fashionable clothing, which were seen as a distraction from their spiritual purpose.
Deborah Ann Cresson
American, 1802–1823
Writing Sample, 1815
Ink on paper
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Gift of Pamela Miller Ness and Paul Marc Ness in Memory of Professor and Mrs. Edwin Haviland Miller, 2003.
(2003.39.1188.1)
Inscription: Dear friend, for thee may friendship smiling gay, / Deck with fresh flowers her rich enchanting way. / While mild content with innocence and peace / Descend from heaven o smile upon thy face. / And o’er thy head bring fresh born blessings down / That every wish and every want shall crown. / Deborah A Cresson / 12 mo 20 1815
Deborah Ann Cresson
American, 1802–1823
Writing Sample, ca. 1815
Ink on paper
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Gift of Pamela Miller Ness and Paul Marc
Ness in Memory of Professor and Mrs.
Edwin Haviland Miller, 2003.
(2003.39.1188.4)
Inscription: WHY THEN/THEIR/LOSS DEPLORE THAT/ARE NOT/LOST / Heaven gives us friends to bless the present scene / Resumes them, to prepare us for the next / All evils natural are moral goods; / All discipline, indulgence on the whole. / None are unhappy, all have cause to smile, / But such as to themselves*have cause deny. / Philadelphia / *read that
Deborah Ann Cresson copied this excerpt from the poetry of Edward Young, perhaps as a school assignment or for personal contemplation. Quakers often copied texts offering moral and spiritual guidance in their own albums or albums belonging to loved ones, as well as in needlework (like the sampler at right).
Cresson made a minor error in the final line, writing “have” instead of “that,” which she chose to correct by including a note at lower left.
James Claypoole Jr.
American, ca. 1743–1822
Robert Shewell, 1765
Sarah Sallows Shewell, 1765
Oil on canvas
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Purchase: Priscilla Payne Hurd Endowment Fund, and Gift of Francie Starr, 1992. (1992.19.1, 2)
Jingdezhen, China, for export to American market
Cup and Saucer, ca. 1805
Porcelain with black enamel overlay and gilding
Gift of Hampton C. Randolph Sr., 1984. (1984.23.1, 2)
British, for export to Pennsylvania German market
Plate, 1835–1855
Ceramic (spatterware)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Kaplan, 2009. (2009.28.15)
American
Buttermold, 1800s
Poplar
Made in Pennsylvania
Gift of William W. Swallow, 1963.
(1963.152a, b, c)
American
Plate, 1800s
Redware
Made in Pennsylvania
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herman E. Finkelstein, 1975. (1975.110)
American
Pitcher, 1800s
Ceramic
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herman E. Finkelstein, 1975. (1975.122)
American
Stove Plate: Publican and Pharisee, 1742
Cast iron
Made in Pennsylvania
Inscription: “The proud Pharisee glorifies himself in prayer, but the heart of the humble Publican pleases God much better. Luke Chapter 18, 1742”
Gift of Dorothy C. Miller, 1975. (1975.148)
In the Christian parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, Jesus teaches humility by recognizing the ardent Publican, a Jewish tax collector for the ancient Romans, over the self-righteous Pharisee, a member of an ancient Jewish sect who believed their manner of religious observance superior. The designer of this stove plate based its design on an illustration from a popular German bible (below).
This work not only reflects the transfer of German traditions to Pennsylvania, but also calls to mind iron foundries’ as enslavers. Enslaved people, some of whom may have had experience in West African metalworking techniques, often performed skilled work at mid-Atlantic foundries.
Illustration from the Elector Bible (published in 14 editions, 1640–1758). Pictured in Henry Mercer, The Bible in Iron (Doylestown: Bucks County Historical Society, 1961), 191.
British or French
Cimarrónes or Quilombolas Fleeing Enslavement, ca. 1820s
Oil on canvas
Gift of John (Jay) and Jan Ruhle, 2022. (2022.14)
This painting depicts an enslaved family seeking freedom. Based on the topography and tropical setting, they are likely cimarrónes or quilombolas—people who liberated themselves from enslavement and established free communities in the Spanish Caribbean and Brazil. The sticks of sugarcane on the ground and in the man’s hand suggest that he was forced to labor to produce sugar, a commodity in demand around the world.
Explicit in its detail of the man’s shackles and the distress of the woman and older son, the image was likely meant to inspire sympathy in support of the abolitionist cause to end slavery. The man’s red cap is a symbol of liberty, worn in Roman times by formerly enslaved people who had gained their freedom.
This composition echoes Christian scenes of the Rest on the Flight into Egypt, in which the Holy Family paused during their escape to save the life of the infant Jesus. As the family in the painting here faces the threat of recapture, the young child at the center seems to offer a bit of hope.
vanessa german
American, born 1976
2 ships passing in the night, or i take my soul with me everywhere i go, thank you, 2014
Mixed media assemblage
Among the inspirations for vanessa german’s sculptures are African nkisi power figures, made from carved wood with ritual accumulations of nails, shells, and other objects. In the words of the artist and poet, 2 ships passing in the night, or i take my soul with me everywhere i go, thank you is:
2 decorative ship models, doll parts, cloth, twine, fear, hair grease, tar, love, skateboard, white beads, homewood beads, rhinestones for the eyes, mirror, antique blue ticking, the ocean, slavery on an everyday basis as made real and present by the reality of white supremacy, righteous clarity, keys, coffee tins, stomach mirror, old jr. navigators flashlight, white porcelain doll heads from the bombed out doll factories in germany, the journey from rage to understanding, the journey from compassion for everyone else to compassion for myself, the journey from lies to truth, the actualization of justice as national migration, old natty quilt parts, pain, and horror and how it feels to know that no one is actually on your side, being blamed for it, pure lard tin, red skateboard
The Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African-American Art
Radcliffe Bailey
American, born Jamaica, 1968
Storm, 2012
Gouache, glitter, and ink with collage
The Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African-American Art
Radcliffe Bailey’s image of African artifacts floating in a tumultuous ocean suggests the loss of freedom and of life during the Middle Passage, the forced transatlantic journey experienced by enslaved persons brought from West Africa to the Americas.
American
Girl in Red Dress, early 1800s
Oil on Masonite, transferred from panel
Gift of Estate of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1981. (1981.19.6)
George Franck, scrivener
American
Certificate of Birth and Baptism for Herby William, 1883
Printed, handcolored and inscribed
Printer: The Eagle Bookstore, Reading, PA
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Kaplan, 2009. (2009.6.53)
Scrivener George Franck would have bought many blank impressions of this certificate in Reading, then traveled the surrounding region to infill and decorate copies for Pennsylvania German families. While most scriveners wrote in a single color, Franck was known for his colorful text. He may have found inspiration for his distinctive multicolored letters in the fashionable typography seen in advertisements and signage of the era. This unique aesthetic likely contributed to his success during the late 1800s, a time when demand for scriveners’ services was in decline.
American
Stag, 1800s
Oil on barrel top
Made in Pennsylvania
Inscription: “You beautiful deer, don’t run so proudly, the hunter stands behind the woods”
Gift of Estate of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1981. (1981.19.8)
Thomas Birch
American, 1779–1851
Great Falls of the Lehigh at Stoddartsville, Pennsylvania, late 1820s–1830s
Oil on canvas
Purchase: Gift from Three Supporters in Honor of Elliot J. Sussman’s Years of Service to the Allentown Art Museum and the Priscilla Payne Hurd Endowment Fund, 2011. (2011.18)
Gustav Johann Grunewald
German, 1805–1878, active in Bethlehem 1831–1868
Niagara Falls, 1834
Oil on canvas
Purchase: The Gift of John and Fannie Saeger, 1986. (1986.7)
Tompkins Harrison Matteson
American, 1813–1884
The Return of Rip Van Winkle, or, Rip Van Winkle’s Return from the Mountains,
1840–1845
Oil on canvas
Purchase: The Leigh Schadt and Edwin Schadt Art Museum Trust, 2001. (2001.10)
Right:
French
Shawl, ca. 1860
Wool, jacquard-woven using power loom
Maker’s mark in corners
Gift of Valerie Heins, 1984. (1984.18.5)
Left:
Indian, for Western market
Kashmir region
Shawl, ca. 1870
Goats’ hair (pashmina) in twill tapestry weave, pieced, with embroidery and applique Maker’s mark in center
Gift of Mr. George L. Forbes, (1981.18.6)
Although these two shawls look similar, they were actually made on different continents. Together, they tell a story of global trade and competition.
Can you see the seams where the shawl at left was pieced together? This is a clue that lets us know it was handwoven in India’s Kashmir region, an area with a long tradition of luxury shawl weaving. Beginning in the early 1800s, Kashmiri weavers responded to new demand from Europe and the United States by making shawls in small sections (instead of a single piece)—a tactic that sped up production.
However, European manufacturers also started producing low-cost, machine-made imitations of these shawls, like the one at right. By the 1860s, these mass-produced shawls were pushing the Kashmiri weavers out of the market.
Henry Mosler
American, 1841–1920
Invoking God’s Blessing (Pilgrim’s Grace), 1897
Oil on canvas
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Hirschl, 1977. (1977.4)
In their humble home, this Pilgrim family embodies faith, morality, and simplicity—values that some Americans feared were disappearing in the late 1800s. Artists like Henry Mosler depicted the past to offer inspiration and reassurance to those worried about urbanization and immigration transforming the United States.
Such artists were usually more concerned with celebrating American identity than with historical accuracy. Look for fun anachronisms in this painting, such as the very Victorian bows, and painted Chinese porcelain (rare in North America until about a century after the Pilgrims’ time).
Winslow Homer
American, 1836–1910
Holiday in Camp ‑ Soldiers Playing Foot‑Ball, from Harper’s Weekly, July 1865
Wood engraving
Publisher: Harper’s Weekly, Harper & Brothers, New York, NY
Purchase: SOTA Print Fund, 2006. (2006.15.5)
George Cope
American, 1855–1929
Mr. Darlington’s Still Life, 1890
Oil on canvas
Made in West Chester, PA
Purchase: Leigh Schadt and Edwin Schadt Art Museum Trust Fund, 2004. (2004.35)
Severin Roesen
German, ca. 1815–ca. 1872, active in the United States
Still Life with Wine Glass and Watermelon, ca. 1860
Oil on canvas
Purchase: Frank E. and Seba B. Payne Foundation Gift, 1987. (1987.41)
Thomas Pollock Anshutz
American, 1851–1912
The Chore, ca. 1888
Oil on wood panel
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Purchase: J. I. and Anna Rodale Fund, 1949.(1961.26)
What might the woman who posed for this painting have thought about the finished work? Artist Thomas Anshutz—who was white—hired her to model because he wanted to paint a Black female servant, and chose the studio props, her pose, and the scarf she wears.
Either she or someone close to her probably had experience working as a servant: an 1899 study by W.E.B. DuBois and Isabel Eaton found that 90% of Black women employed in Philadelphia at this time were in domestic service. Maybe this woman preferred modeling to her regular job—or perhaps it was more tiring to work with Anshutz.
Susan Macdowell Eakins
American, 1852–1938
Kate Lewis, 1884
Oil on canvas
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Purchase: J. I. and Anna Rodale Fund, 1945. (1961.21)
William Seal
American, active 1810–1822
Coffee Pot, Creamer, Teapot, Sugar Bowl, Waste Bowl, Tongs, ca. 1817
Silver
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Anonymous Loan
Henry Ossawa Tanner
American, 1859–1937, active in France
Lion Licking Paw, 1886
Oil on canvas
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Philip I. Berman, 1962. (1962.5)
Henry Ossawa Tanner painted this lion from life at the Philadelphia Zoo. He was preparing to make a larger work depicting Androcles, a formerly enslaved Roman who stopped to remove a thorn from a lion’s paw while fleeing his enslavers.
Tanner often explored stories of oppression and freedom in his work. As the son of a woman who liberated herself from slavery, and as an expatriate who left the United States to mitigate racism’s impact on his career, he likely found particular significance in these themes.
John Singer Sargent
American, 1856–1925, active in Europe
Head of a Young Woman,
1878–1880
Oil on canvas
Gift of Katherine Merle‑Smith Thomas, 2008.
(2008.22)