Known as a landmark for the city of Philadelphia, the Art Museum is home to the Rocky Steps and boasts a collection of more than 240,000 objects, spanning 4,000 years. With a collection that big, it’s no surprise that you might miss a few gems along the way. The first few times I went, I admit, I was overwhelmed by the abundance of art presented to me. Upon talking to a few workers in the Museum, they have directed me to a few masterpieces that they deemed must-sees, and I have to say, I agree with them. I am going to help you to not make the same mistakes I did and make sure you make the most of your next trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The Shepherd Girl (early 1780s)
George Romney, The Shepard Girl, Oil on Canvas, 46 1/2 x 35 1/2 inches, Philadelphia Museum of Art
This painting was done by artist George Romney who was a mostly self taught artist from London. Despite his informal training, George established himself as one of the most fashionable portrait painters of his time, alongside fellow artists Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough. Romney was often asked to paint his clients children, which was becoming more popular during his time due to the modern idea of family life gaining ascendancy. Posed in this painting, is the child of a wealthy London family. The child is posed as an unlikely shepherd girl, which was a popular fantasy of the period, as famously illustrated by Marie Antoinette at Versailles. The girl is thought to likely be playing the role of notoriously lax Little Bo-Peep due to the unruliness of the flock of sheep. The charm of the fantasy image is irresistible coupled with immense technical skill. The delightful hat, the wool of the sheep, and the surfaces of skin and clothing are all amazing and harmonious variations of the color white. Romney celebrates country life, mixing the romantic and moody in the background. All of these elements make this painting withstands the test of time.
Fountain (1917)
This contemporary piece of art by Marcel Duchamp changed the way people think about art forever. Released in 1917, Fountain received a lot of backlash from the art community, with many challenging its ability to be art at all, with the classic remark “How is this considered art? My five-year-old could do that.” On the side it is signed R. Mutt, which people had their own theories about, some thought it was a pun on the German word Armut meaning poverty. It wasn’t until later in Duchamp’s life that he explained Mutt come from Mott Works, which is the name of a large sanitary equipment manufacturer. Duchamp was one of the first to suggest the idea that the traditional values of craftsmanship and aesthetic are not essential to a work of art.
Marcel Duchamp, Fountain, 1917, Sculpture, Porcelain Urinal, 12 × 15 × 18 inches, Philadelphia Museum of Art
Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War)(1936)
Salvador Dali, Soft Construction with Boiled Beans, 1936, Oil on Canvas, 39 5/16 x 39 3/8 inches, Philadelphia Museum of Art
Salvador Dali painted Soft Construction with Boiled Beans on the eve of the devastating civil war in Spain. This painting serves as an allegory of self-inflicted carnage brought on by the civil war. It is a metaphor for the physical and emotional constraints of the war that were happening at the time. The figure is unable to escape its own strangulation as its foot is held down with an equal force. Dali foresaw the self-destruction of the Spanish people, with the boiled beans symbolizing decaying corpses as a result of the destruction. This painting is an interesting example of psychoanalytic art. Dali includes an homage to Sigmund Freud in the painting on the lower left. Dali stated that Freud was an inspiration for him to embrace his nightmarish visions.
As previously mentioned, there is a whole world of art contained within the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and these are only 3 artworks out of 240,000 amazing pieces. While these artworks are my own personal choices, I invite you to explore and find your own favorites, derive meaning for yourself, and give all of the artworks the appreciation they deserve.