Main content
Painting and Sculpture Department Records
Notifications
Held at: Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives [Contact Us]Philadelphia Museum of Art, PO Box 7646, Philadelphia, PA 19101-7646
This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.
Overview and metadata sections
When the Painting and Sculpture Departments were allied, the Painting curators were Arthur Edwin Bye from 1922 to 1928, and Henry Clifford from 1929 to 1965, while the Sculpture curators were Horace H. F. Jayne and Francis H. Taylor from 1927-1930. Of special interest is Bye's bibliography and Clifford's participation with the American Committee for the Restoration of Italian Monuments.
Henry Gardiner was Assistant Curator in the Painting Department (under Henry Clifford) from 1960 to 1968. From 1968 to 1971 John L. Tancock was Associate Curator of Sculpture and there was no official Curator of Painting. In 1972 Anne d'Harnoncourt was named Associate Curator of Twentieth Century Painting and Joseph J. Rishel was Associate Curator of Painting before 1900. In 1973 the Department was split, with Anne d'Harnoncourt as Curator in the newly established Twentieth Century Art Department, and Joseph Rishel became the Curator of Painting in the new European Painting before 1900 Department. Peter Sutton came in 1979 as Assistant Curator, was named Associate Curator in 1982 and left in 1984 to join the Boston Museum of Fine Arts.
The records consist of departmental and exhibition records. The former is comprised of general correspondence and subject files. Documentation of exhibitions primarily consists of lender files, artist and object research files, photographs, draft catalogue writings and files of other subject peritinent to planning an exhibition, such as budget, labels and installation, travel, publicity, promotion and special events.
Currently, this record group documents the curatorial office during its years of operation as the Painting and Sculpture Department, and as the Department of European Painting before 1900, the title it assumed in 1974 and under which it continues to operate.
These materials were arranged and described by Alice Lefton, Bertha Adams, Megan Finn and Leslie O'Neill. Funded by a grant from The National Historical Publications and Records Commission.
Organization
- Publisher
- Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives
- Finding Aid Author
- Finding aid prepared by Alice Lefton, Bertha Adams, Megan Finn and Leslie O'Neill
- Finding Aid Date
- ©2011
- Sponsor
- Funded by a grant from The National Historical Publications and Records Commission
- Access Restrictions
-
The collection is open for research. Access to institutional records less than 10 years old is at the discretion of the Archivist.
- Use Restrictions
-
The Painting and Sculpture Department Records are the physical property of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Archives. The Museum holds literary rights only for material created by Museum personnel or given to the Museum with such rights specifically assigned. For all other material, literary rights, including copyright, belong to the authors or their legal heirs and assigns. Researchers are responsible for obtaining permission from rights holders for publication and for other purposes where stated.
Collection Inventory
Included here is the correspondence of the Painting Department under Arthur Edwin Bye, arranged in two alphabetical sets.
Physical Description1.25 linear feet
Eight alphabetical sets: 1929-1932, 1933-1937, 1938-1939, 1940-1941, 1942, 1943-1944, 1945-1946, 1960s, of Henry Clifford's Painting Department correspondence.
Physical Description1 linear foot
The Sculpture correspondence of Francis Taylor is included here.
Physical Description2 folders
Most of this series consists of the correspondence files of Gardiner, Clifford, Tancock, and Rishel. There are also two subgroups of files arranged by subject and by exhibition. The "Subjects" subgroup includes records pertaining to loans, and "Exhibitions" lincludes shows that were proposed but rejected. Draft folder-level inventories for these two subgroups are available in the Archives.
Physical Description8.25 linear feet
These records were generated by Joseph Rishel and Peter Sutton and consist of general correspondence and subject files combined in one alphabetical arrangement. The exhibition records, filed under "E," pertain primarily to "possible" shows. Other documentation includes loans agreed to, refused, and cancelled, the Museum's Painting and Sculpture Committee, and the public program "Show and Tell." A second subgroup consists of records for a proposed, and later cancelled, exhibition of the 18th century French painter Jean Baptiste Oudry. A third subgroup pertains to several other exhibitions, including "Sports in Art" (1980), "Treasures of Ancient Nigeria," (1982) and a cancelled show featuring Lucas van Leyden. Folder-level inventories for the first and second subgroups are available in the Archives.
Physical Description9.5 linear feet
Most of this material consists of photographs, along with some correspondence and ephemera. It appears that art dealers were the primary source of this material offering objects for purchase to the curators. The files are identified by artist or by dealer and are roughly in alphabetical arrangement.
Physical Description6.5 linear feet
There are two subgroups to this series. The first consists of general correspondence and subject files combined in one alphabetical arrangement. The primary creators of these records are Joseph Rishel and Carl Strelkhe, and their files consist of general correspondence as well as specific activities such as lectures and travel. This subgroup also includes a significant number of folders pertaining to the John G. Johnson Collection and to a number of departmental volunteers. Some files include papers dating as early as 1980. The second subroup pertains to loans that were approved or considered possible as well as those refused or cancelled. Folder-level inventories of both subgroups are available in the Archives.
Physical Description15.5 linear feet
These records pertain to Museum publications that are collection, rather than exhibition, catalogues. The two publications documented here are " Northern European paintings in the Philadelphia Museum of Art: from the 16th through the 19th century," (c. 1990) written by Peter Sutton. Files for each catalogue entry make up the bulk of documetation to the latter publication. There are also correspondence folders and topical files such as finance and grant information, photography rights, publications, conservation and purchase requisitions. For documentation of "British painting in the Philadelphia Museum of Art: from the 17th through 19th century" (1986), which was another comprehensive survey of location-specific works in the permanent collections, please refer to "From the Collections: British Paintings" (1986-1987) in the exhibition records.
Painting and Sculpture Department Records / XI. Exhibition records / O. "From the Collections: British Paintings." Oct. 14, 1986-Jan. 18, 1987
Physical Description6.5 linear feet
Included here is material pertaining to the disposition of certain works of art in the Henry P. McIlhenny estate and to "Show and Tell" a public service program the Museum offered annually during the 1980s.
Physical Description1.25 linear feet
This series consists primarily of exhibition records (1989-1999), as well as departmental records (1985-1989). The exhibitions featured the collections of Charlotte Dorrance Wright (1989) and the Barnes Foundation (1995), and to individual artists such as Pisarro (1993), Cezanne (1996), Van Eyck (1998), and Delacroix (1998-1999). Other departmental activities documented include gallery reinstallations and its participation in "The Age of Rubens," a 1993-1994 catalogued exhibition organized by Boston's Museum of Fine Arts and curated by Peter Sutton, a former PMA associate curator.
Physical Description18 linear feet
In 1966 the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in cooperation with the Art Institute of Chicago, organized a comprehensive retrospective of works by Eduoard Manet. Comprising over 200 paintings and watercolors, the exhibition was the largest display of Manet's work since a Paris exhibition organized in memorium a year after his death in 1883. Due to the number of loans needed for the retrospective, the bulk of the exhibition records relate to loan forms and correspondence. The administrative files also include planning materials from the exhibition catalogue, publicity and attendance records, and documentation of a symposium that was held in conjunction with the exhibition.
Records are organized by loans, institutional correspondence, and administrative files.
The included files contain loan forms and letters between the Philadelphia Museum of Art and potential lenders. Information regarding insurance, packing, and shipping is also filed here.
Loan files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by city.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Frederick Cummings and Allen Staley jointly organized an exhibition British romantic art for the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Detroit Institute of Arts. The curators focused on the period between 1760 and 1860, beginning with works by Reynolds and Gainsborough and exploring the evolution of romantic art through the Pre-Raphaelites. Due to its focus on British art, the majority of exhibition records related to loan correspondence with international institutions and private collectors. These records also include administrative files related to preparing the exhibition catalogue, planning the installation and opening in Philadelphia, and shipping loans internationally.
Exhibition records are organized into correspondence files for institutions and individuals, which account for the bulk of the records, and administrative files.
The included files contain correspondence between the organizing institutions and potential lending institutions located worldwide.
Files are organized alphabetically by city with miscellaneous institutional correspondence appended at the rear.
The included files contain correspondence between the organizing institutions and private collectors who were identified as potential lenders.
Arranged alphabetically by last name.
The bulk of the administrative files pertain to packing and shipping works of art on loan to the organizing institutions, preparing the exhibition catalogue, organizing the opening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and documenting press and publicity following the opening.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
This exhibition of gifts in honor of the Museum's centennial anniversary, installed by Assistant Director for Art Arnold H. Jolles and Curator of Medieval and Renaissance Decorative Arts David DuBon, ranged from European masterworks of painting to American furniture and decorative arts, as well as treasures from India and the Far East. Records maintained in the Painting and Sculpture Department relate to Joe Rishel's participation on the Centennial Committee and research regarding certain and potential gifts.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Joseph J. Rishel and Kathryn Bloom Hiesinger co-curated this exhibition in cooperation with the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Galeries Nationales du Grand Palais in Paris, France. The Museum brought together a variety of works created in France during the Second Empire, including paintings, scultpure, architectural elements, and decorative arts for the largest exhibition that had yet been organized. Administrative files, catalogue materials, loan documentation, and artist and subject files are included in the subseries. Because the department of European Decorative Arts after 1700 also participated in planning the exhibition, related records may be found in that record group as well.
Sub-subseries are maintained in the original order arranged by the Paintings and Sculpture Department.
European Decorative Arts after 1700 Department Records / I. Exhibition records / A. Second Empire: Art in France under Napoleon III
The administrative files pertain to the various aspects of planning and implementing the exhibition from initial research trips to installation and visitor services. Budget and funding materials are included here along with insurance and indemnification documentation and various contracts.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
The making of the exhibition catalogue is documented here from its initial planning phases and early correspondence to final sales. The bulk of the materials pertain to artist files and drafts of individual entries and essays.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
The bulk of these materials document objects lent to the museum from institution in France, across the United States, and in Europe. Correspondence regarding loan refusals, and problems encountered in transit are also included.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject and hierarchically by location.
The bulk of these materials include black and white photographs of objects considered for the exhibition along with curator's notes and related research.
Files are arranged alphabetically by artist's last name.
These records include correspondence, object lists, photographs, and research organized by architecture, decorative arts, drawing, painting, photography, and sculpture. Conservation reports and internal correspondence are also included here.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
This small-scale exhibition was arranged in the Director's Corridor during the winter of 1980. Selected works depicted olympic sports and related athletic activities as captured by artists from antiquity to the twentieth century. The exhibition opening coincided with the arrival of the Olympic flame in Philadelphia on February 3, 1980.
Joseph Rishel, curator of European Art, and Richard Ormond, deputy director of the National Portrait Gallery in London, organized a major exhibition of the works of Sir Edwin Landseer that sought to reveal the artists as a major figure in the romantic movment. The show relied upon generous loans from public and private collections throughout the United Kingdom, Europe, and North America; thus, the bulk of the exhibition records are comprised of lender files. Following its debut in Philadelphia, the exhibition also traveled to the Tate Gallery in London. Administrative files pertain to exhibition planning and execution among curatorial and support departments at the Philadelphia Museum of Art with a few folder dedicated to the later exhibition at the Tate Gallery. Correspondence and exhibition catalogue materials are also included in this subseries.
Sub-subseries are maintainted accordingly to the original order in which they were transferred to the Archives.
These files include budget and funding records; contracts, insurance, and indemnification documents; shipping and installation files; and publicity generated by the museum along with clippings reviewing the exhibition.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Correspondence files contain letters between lenders, curators, catalogue contributers, and the director of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Files are arranged alphabetically by last name with two folders of general fan mail and reference questions appended at the end.
Exhibition catalogue materials include serveral general files filled with planning and administrative documents, Joseph Rishel's research and contributions submitted for the catalogue, and photographs that were chosen for inclusion in the publication.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
A variety of lender lists in this sub-subseries represent changes throughout the planning phase of the exhibition. Loan forms, loan letter drafts, and condition reports are located here, and individual lender files contain correspondence, loan forms, internal notes, and images of requested objects.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject. Individual lender files are organized by country of origin according to the original departmental organization schema.
An exhibition of 100 objects in terracotta, bronze, ivory, and stone -- ranging in date from the fifth century BC to the nineteenth century AD -- was organized by Michael Kan, Deputy Director of African, Oceanic, and New World Cultures at the Detroit Institute of Arts in cooperation with Dr. Ekpo Eyo, Director of the Department of Antiquities, Nigeria. Peter Sutton, Assistant Curator of Painting before 1900, installed the exhibition when it traveled to the Philadelphia Museum of Art in 1982. The bulk of the exhibition records relate to the installation process, opening, press, and related programming along with a sizable set of catalogue photographs.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Peter Sutton, Associate Curator of European Painting, organized a review of the full range of Dutch painter Jan Steens work in this exhibition, comprised of 10 paintings from the permanent collection. In conjunction with the exhibition, Sutton and Marigene Butler co-authored "Jan Steen: Comedy and Admonition." Records include the original catalogue grant proposal and preparatory materials. Preliminary researc, photography requests, and correspondence are also included in this subseries.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Joseph Rishel, Curator of European Paintings before 1900, worked closely with the Barnes Foundation and several local private collectors to bring 45 works by Paul Cézanne to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This exhibition, which celebrates the extensive collections of Philadelphia-area institutions and individuals, revealed the city as one of the most impressive gathering places of the Cézanne's work. Records in this subseries are broken down into local collections and administrative files. Local collections document works included or considered for inclusion in the exhibition, and administrative files pertain to exhibition planning and implementation.
The collections of Dorrance, Madeira, McIlhenny, and Rothberg were prominently featured in this exhibition along with contributions by Blackburn, Grace, Salz, De Schauensee, and Weber. Files contain correspondence, images, loan information, and research relating to individual works on loan. Additional files include a selection of refused loans from the Annenberg collection.
Files are primarily arranged alphabetically by lender with a folder listing prints help by the Philadelphia Museum of Art located at the front and a small group of refused loan files appended to the back.
The efforts of curatorial and support departments are documented here through records ranging from the initial planning phases (NEA grant, exhibition lists, and conservation) through to the final implementation of the exhibition (opening events, news clippings, deinstallation).
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
In 1984, the Philadelphia Museum of Art collaborated with the Gemäldegalerie, Staatliche Museen Preussischer Kulturbesitz of West Berlin, Germany and the Royal Academy of Arts in London, England to organize and exhibit an exhibition of 118 Dutch genre paintings. Peter Sutton, Associate Curator of European Paintings before 1900, installed the exhibition in Philadelphia and wrote the award-winning catalogue that accompanied the show. The majority of the works featured in this exhibition were lent to the Museum, and a large portion of these records relate to lending institutions and works on loan. Correspondence, lectures, and materials relating to the exhibition catalogue constitute another prominent aspect of the exhibition records along with research relating to individual artists. Administrative files pertain to all aspects of exhibition planning and implementation from the originating curatorial department and various support departments.
Due to the nature of this exhibition, institutions and private collectors throughout Europe and North America generously lent works by Dutch genre painters to the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Each file contains correspondence and loan agreements with institutions and individuals regarding one or several works on loan.
This sub-subseries begins with a list of loans from the John G. Johnson Collection, a list of directors of lending institutions, and set of lender files from the Philadelphia area. All other files are listed alphabetically by country of origin followed by the name of the lending institution or of the last name of an individual lender with related correspondence files appended at the end of the alphabetical run.
The museum published "Masters of Seventeenth-Century Dutch Genre Painting" in conjunctions with the exhibition. Contributors include Christopher Brown, Jan Kelch, Otto Naumann, and Bill Robinson with Peter Sutton listed as primary author. Files include drafts and final copies of essays, illustrations and photographs, acknowledgements, bibliographies, and biographies along with a separate file for each author.
Files are organized alphabetically by subject.
Correspondence files include letters to exhibition collaborators, catalogue contributors and translators, and various other individuals who helped with aspects of planning and implementation. There is a separate file for director's correspondence, president's correspondence, and internal memoranda between employees. Lecture files include transcripts of four lectures presented in conjunction with the exhibition.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
The administrative files pertain to the various aspects of planning and implementing the exhibition from initial grant applications to the National Endowment for the Arts to opening events and publicity. Due to the nature of the exhibition and the number of loans on display, several files relate to indemnification, insurance, couriers, packing and shipping, and related expenses.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Each files is dedicated to an artist whose work was included in the exhibition and may contain biographies, original research, and images of the artist's work.
Files are arranged alphabetically by artist's last name.
These files contain information on artists and lending institutions whose works were considered, but ultimately not selected, for inclusion in the exhibition.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject with artist files organized by last name and lender files organized by country of organization followed by the name of the institution.
J. M. W. Turner's paintings documenting the burning of the Houses of Parliament on October 16, 1834 were featured in an exhibition organized by the Cleveland Museum of Art in association with the Philadelphia Museum of Art to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the fire. The bulk of the exhibition records include images documenting the works on display and gallery installations. A general file also includes correspondence, planning, and research.
Joseph J. Rishel, Curator of European Painting before 1900, selected some 35 paintings, watercolors, drawings, and sculptures from the Museum's holdings and private lenders in the Philadelphia area for an exhibition featuring local holdings of the artist's work. The bulk of these records relate to loans, photograph requests, and purchase requisitions. Exhibition planning records are comprised of preparatory materials for the Museum Bulletin, correspondence, exhibition lists, installation information, and labels. Administrative information, such as budget, opening events, and public relations are also included.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Mary Cassatt, Philadelphia-born artist, was the only American ever invited to exhibit with the French Impressionists. Eventually, she settled in Paris, but Philadelphia remains the largest repository of her work, and she played a pivotal role in encouraging Philadelphia-area collectors to acquire Impressionist paintings despite the critical attitudes taken by her contemporaries. Suzanne G. Lindsay, a guest curator and specialist in 19th-century art, organized the exhibition selected 52 paintings, drawings, and prints for display, each chosen to emphasize the artist's connections with the city that she considered her American home. This subseries includes loan files and records relating to the planning and implementation of an exhibition that explored Cassatt's relationship with the city of Philadelphia.
This subseries is broken into two sub-subseries according to the order in which records were originally received from the curatorial department. Loans are arranged first, followed by a more general sub-subseries of administrative files.
A number of individuals and institutions lent works by Cassatt for this exhibition. In addition to lender files, there are also drafts of loan letters and list of potential loan candidates that were never location or not pursued.
Files are arranged alphabetically by name and subject with files of lenders who wished to remain anonymous appended at the end.
Originally labeled as correspondence files, this sub-subseries includes all records relating to planning and implementing the exhibition at the administrative level. In addition to correspondence, other materials include budget and funding records, catalogue materials, exhibition lists and labels, installation documentation, and publicity.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Benjamin West (1738-1820) was the first American artist to win international acclaim. This exhibition of 37 paintings and 50 drawings served as a comprehensive survey of his career and included two of the earliest known portraits by West, painted in his native Pennsylvania, a version of his first historical commission in England, and one of his best-known history paintings, William Penn's Treaty with the Indians. Darrel L. Sewell, the Robert L. McNeil Curator of American Art; Joseph J. Rishel; and Ann Percy, Curator of Drawings collaborated to organize this exhibition in celebration of the publication by Yale University Press of the catalogue "Paintings of Benjamin West", by Helmut von Erffa and Allen Staley. Records in this subseries pertain to the catalogue, loans, and a related symposium. Correspondence, exhibition lists, and administrative materials are also included.
Files arranged alphabetically by subject.
To complementthe publication of Richard Dorent's comprehensive catalogue, "British Painting in the Philadelphia Museum of Art from the Seventeenth Through the Nineteenth Century," Joseph Rishel organized an exhibition of representative paintings selected from the permanent collections and described within the pages of Dorent's book. This subseries is divided into artist files, object files, and catalogue and correspondence files.
Files are maintained in the order in which they were transferred from the originating department.
Painting and Sculpture Department Records / VIII. Publications
A separate file was created for each artist represented in the collection that includes images, research notes, and entry drafts.
Files are arranged alphabetically by last name.
For works by unknown artists, object files were created and organized seperately. Folders primarily contain images, research notes, and entry drafts.
Files are arranged in a numerical order supplied by the curatorial department.
Richard Dorment compiled " British Painting in the Philadelphia Museum of Art from the Seventeenth Through the Nineteenth Century," a major catalogue surveying works from the permanent collections. Records include correspondence files, documentation of the publication reception and the complementary exhibition in Philadelphia, and grant-related materials from the John Paul Getty Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject with correspondence files divided chronologically.
By bringing together works from the permanent collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art combined with paintings from private collections in the Philadelphia Area, Joseph J. Rishel curated an exhibition exploring Claude Monet's prominence and popularity in the Philadelphia area. The bulk of the records in this subseries are lender files along with exhibition lists, installation materials, and news releases.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Henry P. McIlhenny, former Curator of Decorative Arts and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, was an avid art collector who bequeather the entirety of his collection to the Philadelphia Museum of Art upon his death in 1986. Joseph Rishel, Curator of European Painting before 1900, organized this exhibition of McIlhenny's collection in conjunction with the Director and the curatorial staff. The bulk of the exhibition records in this subseries pertain to the accompanying publication, "The Henry P. McIlhenny Collection: An Illustrated History," which was written by Joseph Rishel with the assistance of Alice Lefton. Additional materials include conservation records, installation documentation, photography, opening events, and publicty. Label copy is included for both this exhibition and "Henry P. McIlhenny: Photographs by Gloria Braggiotti Etting," a corresponding exhibition of photographs by an artist and personal friend of McIlhenny.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Peter Sutton and Joseph J. Rishel brought together some 100 master paintings from public and private collections in eleven countries for an exhibition of Dutch naturalisting landscape painting of the seventeenth century that first opened at the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam and later traveled to the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston before closing at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Contents include budget and funding, exhibition lists, loan records and insurance/indemnification, correspondence, installation documentation, publicity, and records relating to a symposium held in conjunction with the exhibition.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Joseph Rishel organized a traveling exhibition of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Charlotte Dorrance Wright Collection that was exhibited at the Society of the Four Arts in Palm Beach, Florida in the spring of 1989 and the State Museum of Pennsylvania in Harrisburg during the fall of that year. While this collection traveled, the Museum hosted an exhibition of some Impressionist paintings from the John T. Dorrance collection. Sotheby's organized the exhibition to attract potential buyers in the weeks preceding an auction that included 43 works from the Dorrance collection. Materials from both exhibitions are collocated in this subseries and include correspondence, checklists and contracts along with records from support departments regarding conservation, loans, and marketing.
Files are arranged alphabetically with records pertaining to the John T. Dorrance collection appended after those relating to the Charlotte Dorrance Wright collection.
The private collection of Mr. and Mrs. Walter H. Annenberg had its first public showing during this exhibition at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibition provided a comprehensive survey ofhe leading artists of Impressionism and Post-Impressionism. Following its debut in Philadelphia, the show then traveled to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This subseries begins with administrative files documenting the exhibition planning and implementation, but the bulk of the contents in this subseries pertain to works by individual artists featured in this exhibition and curatorial research.
Administrative files, artist files, and research files are arranged in the orignial order maintained in the curatorial department.
The administrative files pertain to the various aspects of planning and implementing the exhibition from initial budget planning to opening events. Contents in this subseries include correspondence, exhibition lists, label copy and installation documentation, publicity, and symposium materials. Records of support department activities are included for Conservation, the Registrar, and Rights and Reproduction.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Each file contains citations, descriptions, entry drafts, and photographic reproductions for a particular work of art in the Annenberg collection. Several works have files with complementary information in the research sub-subseries.
Files are arranged alphabetically by artist's last name.
Research files contain photocopied articles, curatorial notes, and reproduced images of artwork, along with occassional lists and references.
Files are arranged alphabetically by artist's last name.
This exhibition, organized by Christopher Riopelle, Associate Curator of European Painting Before 1900, included over fifty paintings, drawings, and sculptures by Renoir with an emphasis on the artist's work from the 1880s. Object files for studies and sketches pertaining to "The Great Bathers" comprise a large portion of this subseries along with a small selection of private lender files. Administrative files documenting the planning and implementation of the exhibition account for nearly half of this subseries.
Object, lender, and administrative files are arranged in the orignial order maintained in the curatorial department.
Each object file pertains to a preparatory work by Renoir in anticipation of the exhibition's titular painting, "The Great Bathers." Works include sketches and studies from international public institutions and private collections. Contents for each folder may include loan forms and correspondence with lenders, label copy and related texts, and photocopies or photographic reproductions.
Each object file is marked with a number, and all folders in this sub-subseries are arranged numerically.
Several individuals lent works of art from their private collections, and each folder in this sub-subseries includes correspondence and loan forms relating to the exhibition.
Files were originally labeled A-G, and files are arranged aphabetically according to these labels rather than lender's last name.
The administrative files pertain to the various aspects of planning and implementing the exhibition from initial budget proposals to opening events. Contents include exhibition lists, label copy and manuscript drafts by Rishel and Riopelle, correspondence, comparative photography, and documentation of a symposium held in conjunction with the exhibition.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Christopher Riopelle organized an exhibition of some 40 paintings drawn from the Museum's extensive 19th-century collections and augmented by important loans from private collectors surveying the relationship between plein-air painters and the sea. The bulk of the records in this subseries pertain to private lenders from the Philadelphia area. Administrative files include budget memoranda, correspondence, installation documentation, exhibition lists and label copy, and photography and publicity.
Between 1599 and 1602, Hendrick Goltzius created "Without Ceres and Bacchus, Venus Would Freeze," combining pen and ink and brush with oil color. In celebration of the Philadelphia Museum of Art's acquisition of this rare work, Lawrence W. Nichols organized an exhibition featuring a number of works on international loan that provide context for the master work. Contents include loan files, administrative files, and object files with the bulk for the materials dating from 1991 to 1992.
Files are arranged into three sub-subseries in accordance with the order in which they were originally arranged when transferred from the curatorial department.
Loan files include initial correspondence, agreements, and loan forms with lending institutions.
Following correspondence, files are grouped arranged alphabetically first by European city then by American city.
The administrative files pertain to the various aspects of planning and implementing the exhibition from initial budget proposals to opening events. Contents include perparatory materials for a special issue of the PMA Bulletin, budget and funding records, photographs and color transparencies, and internal correspondence with the Registrar and Special Exhibitions Department. The bulk of these records date from 1991 and 1992.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Files for works from lending institutions include correspondence, loan forms, and images. Works from the permanent collection have a complete object file within the curatorial department, and in most cases a reference photograph is the only item in each folder.
Files are organized numerically in an order conceived within the curatorial department according to international number, domestic number, and works from the permanent collections.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Kimbell Art Museum of Fort Worth, Texas, and The Réunion des Musées Nationaux coordinated an exhibition of 65 eighteenth-century paintings depicting scenes from ancient mythology. In Philadelphia,Christopher Riopelle selected prints, porcelains, sculptures and tapestries from the permanent collections to complement the exhibition. Contents include budget and funding records, correspondence, photograph and loan requests, exhibition lists and labels, and publicity.
Files are organized alphabetically by subject.
Stephen Gritt organized an exhibition of seven paintings and several works on paper byfrom the permanent collections to explore the methods and innovations of Eugene Delacroix. This subseries contains a single folder with label copy, installation documentation, and publicity.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art collaborated with the Dallas Museum of Art and the Royal Academy of Arts in London to organize an exhibition of works by Camille Pissarro, an Impressionist painter who produced over 300 city views throughout his career. Some 70 works were assembled from collections throughout the world for this exhibition. A large portion of this subseries is comprised of correpsondence and lender files with additional files relating to budget, funding, the exhibition catalogue, and related support department activities.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
In 1995, eighty masterpieces from the Barnes Foundation were selected for a traveling exhibition that completed its tour at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The exhibition, "From Cézanne to Matisse: Great French Paintings from the Barnes Foundation," was organized by the Barnes Foundation and curated by Joseph Rishel and Christopher Riopelle. This travelling exhibition was the first and only time that the works were on view outside the Barnes galleries, located in Merion, PA. The records include object files, installation files, and administrative files. While the majority of the files are undated, the remaining records are from 1992 to 1994.
Object files are comprised of object descriptions, images, and research for works by Pierre Auguste Renoir and Pablo Picasso.
These records include photocopied images of rooms, floorplans, and object lists.
The administrative files include installation records, floorplans, loans considered for the exhibition, and general planning material.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art collaborated with the Réunion de Musées Nationaux / Musée d'Orsay in Paris and the Tate Gallery in London to organize a retrospective exhibition of works by Paul Cezanne. An unprecedented gathering of some 100 oil paintings, 35 watercolors, and 35 drawings were drawn together from public and private collections. Joseph J. Rishel, Senior Curator of European Painting before 1900 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Françoise Cachin, director of Musées de France, were the primary curators of this exhibition. Contents include files relating to administration, research, lenders, and publicity.
Files are arranged into four sub-subseries in accordance with the order in which they were originally arranged when transferred from the curatorial department.
The administrative files pertain to the various aspects of planning and implementing the exhibition from initial budget proposals to opening events. Contents include correspondence, budget and funding records, preparatory materials for the exhibition catalogue, travel documentation, exhibition lists, meeting notes, and records pertaining to a related symposium.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
These files contain a large collection of photocopied articles and book excerpts, research pertaining to related auctions and exhibitions dating from 1913-1994, and object files.
Files are organized in the order in which they were originally transferred from the curatorial department. For object files, drawings are identified by Chappuis number, watercolors are identified by Rewald number, and paintings are identified by Venturi number.
Lender files include initial correspondence, agreements, and loan forms with lending institutions.
Files are arranged alphabetically by lending institution with three folders relating to additional loan materials appended at the end.
The bulk of these records contain press clippings from the Paris exhibition along with related clippings from London and Philadelphia.
Files are organized in the order in which they were originally transferred from the curatorial department.
"Rodin and Michelangelo: A Study in Artistic Inspiration" was an exhibition featuring the drawings and sculptures of both artists that opened at the PMA on March 27, 1997. The exhibition was organized to suggest what Rodin learned from Michelangelo and how he translated it into his own work. Curated by Christopher Riopelle, the exhibition first opened at Casa Buonarotti in Florence, and then came to PMA. The records are largely administrative, and include loan documentation, correspondence, object lists, and other general plannig material.
To celebrate the bicentennial of the birth of Eugene Delacroix (1798-1863), the Reunion de Musees Nationaux in Paris and the Philadelphia Museum of Art organized the magnificent exhibition, "Delacroix: The Late Work."The exhibition featured approximately seventy paintings and forty works of art from both public and private collections. Curated by Joseph J. Rishel ( Senior Curator of European Painting before 1900, the John G. Johnson Collection), Arlette Sérullaz (Curator of Drawings at the Musée du Louvre), and Vincent Pomerède (Chief Curator of Paintings at the Musée du Louvre), the exhibition was the first in a decade to study Delacroix. The records for the exhibition include administrative files, lender files, and research files. The bulk of the records date from 1996 to 1998.
These records document the administration and planning of the exhibition, and include collecting files, correspondence, installation records, and other related material. Researchers should note that there is a detailed inventory for the collecting records housed at the beginning of the administrative sub-subseries.
The lender files include correspondence between the PMA and institutions and individuals, as well as agreements and loan letters. The records are arranged alphabetically and the sub-subseries is completed by black and white photographs and copies of the loan artwork.
These files contain research material for the exhibition preparation and catalogue. The majority of the records pertain to Joseph Rishel's research for his essay on Delacroix and Americirca Researchers should note that there is a detailed inventory for the records housed at the beginning of the sub-subseries.
"Goya: Another Look" was an exhibition organized by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Musee des Beaux-Arts in Lille, France. The exhibition featured Goya's tapestry designs, religious subjects, still lives, genre subjects, and portraits. In addition, the exhibition displayed an installation of his original etchings and lithographs, all selected from the PMA's permanent collections. The core of the show is drawn from a group of works that were created following the death of Goya's wife, Josefa, in 1812. This stunning exhibition was curated by Joesph J. Rishel,The Gisela and Dennis Alter Senior Curator of European Painting before 1900 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Arnauld Brejon de Lavergnée, Director of the Musée des Beaux Arts in Lille. The records contain both administrative and planning files, such as exhibition lists, installation documentation, loan files, and research material. The bulk of the records are from 1998 to 1999.
"The Splendor of 18th Century Rome" was a spectacular exhibition that opened at the PMA on March 16, 2000, and made its second and final stop at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston on September 17, 2000. Curated by Joseph J. Rishel (The Gisela and Dennis Alter Senior Curator of European Painting and Sculpture before 1900, the John G. Johnson Collection, and the Rodin Museum), Ann Percy (Curator of Drawings), and Dean Walker (The Henry P. McIlhenny Senior Curator of European Decorative Arts and Sculpture), the exhibition featured approximately 380 works of art by more than 160 artists. Included were paintings, drawings, architecture, sculpture, and decorative arts by artists such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Pier Leone Ghezzi, Anton Raphael Mengs, Hubert Robert and Jacques-Louis David. The records include administrative files, artist files, catalogue records, extensive image files, and loan correspondence. The bulk of the records are from 1999 to 2000, and much of the material is undated.
Prints, Drawings, and Photographs Department Records / I. Exhibition records / N. "The Splendor of 18th-Century Rome." Mar. 16- May 28, 2000
The efforts of curatorial and support departments are documented here through records ranging from the initial planning stages, such as NEH grant applications and image requests through to the exhibition opening and acknowledgements. Other records include author correspondence, bibliographies, label copies, and meeting documentation. The bulk of the records are from 1999 to 2000.
The artist files include biographies and bibliographies for the noted artists, such as Giovanni Battista Piranesi, Pier Leone Ghezzi, and Pierre-Hubert Subleyras.
The making of the exhibition catalogue is documented here from its initial planning phases and early correspondence to the essay drafts and image selections. The bulk of the material pertains to the catalogue authors and their writings.
These records contain image files for paintings, drawings, sculpture, architecture, and decorative arts pieces. They include color transparencies, and requests for color transparencies, as well as photographs for both the catalogue and research purposes, correspondence between lending institutions, and rights and reproductions invoices.
Records are arranged in original order.
This sub-subseries contains image files for objects that were not used in the exhibition.
The files contain correspondence between the PMA and lending institutions, and also include invoices, images, and other related material. The records date from 1998 to 2000.
On October 22, 2000, the exhibition "Van Gogh: Face to Face" opened at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. A traveling exhibition, it first opened at the Detroit Institute of Arts, followed by the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. This magnificent show focused on Van Gogh's portraits of both himself and others. Also on display were the initimate portaits he painted during his treatment for epilepsy at the sanitarium he stayed in in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. The exhibition was curated by George Keyes, The Elizabeth and Allan Shelden Curator of European Painting at the Detroit Institute of Arts; George T.M. Shackelford, The Mrs. Russell W. Baker Curator of European Painting, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; and Joseph Rishel, The Gisela and Dennis Alter Senior Curator of European Painting at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The records contain administrative files that document the planning and research of the exhibition, as well as loan files. The bulk of the records date from 1998 to 2000.
The administrative files contain records related to the planning, research, and preparation of the exhibition. Included are the records for the exhibition catalogue, installation, correspondence, funding, marketing, and images. The bulk of the records date from 1998 to 2000.
The loan files include correspondence, agreements, insurance information, and other related material between the PMA and lending institutions and individuals.
The records are arranged alphabetically by lender.
"Degas and the Dance" was a magnificent exhibition of over 140 works that opened on February 12, 2003 at the PMA. The exhibition, which made its debut at The Detroit Institute of Arts, featured Degas's investigation of the dance world through his art. Curated by Joseph Rishel the Gisela and Dennis Alter Senior Curator of European Painting at PMA, Richard Kendall, an independent curator, and Jill deVonyar, Associate Curator of Reader's Digest Association, the exhibition documented Degas's study of ballet and dance which spanned over forty years. The records contain loan files and administrative files. The bulk of the files date from 2000 to 2003.
The loan files include correspondence, agreements, insurance information, and other related material between the PMA and lending institutions and individuals. The bulk of the files date from 2000 to 2002.
The files are arranged in original order.
The sub-subseries, "Administration" contains records relating to the planning of the exhibition. The files include budget reports, contracts, checklists, meeting documentation, and research material. The bulk of the records date from 2000-2003.
"Manet and the Sea" was an exhibition of over one hundred paintings, watercolors, and drawings, all drawn from both public and private collections in the United States and abroad. This stunning exhibition explored the marine paintings of not only Manet, but his contemporaries such as Monet and Renoir. "Manet and the Sea" was the first exhibition to study such a theme and each of the works contributed to the sea-related scope of the exhibition. The exhibition was organized by The Art Institute of Chicago, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and the Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam. Curators of "Manet and the Sea" included Douglas Druick, Senior Curator of European Painting, Art Institute of Chicag; Gloria Groom, David and Mary Winton Green Curator, the Art Institute of Chicago; John Leighton, Director, the Van Gogh Museum; Joe Rishel, Senior Curator of European Painting, Philadelphia Museum of Art; and John Zarobell, Assistant Curator of European Painting and Sculpture before 1900, the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The records are largely administrative and include files that document exhibition funding, installation, planning, and rights and reproductions. Also included are checklists, chronologies, and outlines. Additionally, users will find that work featured in the exhibition is found in the records in the form of negatives, illustrations, photographs, and color copies of prints. The bulk of the records date from 2002 to 2004.
"African Art, African Voices: Long Steps Never Broke a Back" was an exhibition organized and drawn from the Seattle Art Museum. The exhibition accompanied by video projections, computer interviews, and an audio tour, featured 130 objects, including textiles, jewelry, sculpture, photographs, film, masks, and contemporary art. The exhibition was organized by Pamela McClusky, Curator of African and Oceanic Art at the Seattle Art Museum, and the Philadelphia exhibition was organzied by John Zarobell, Assistant Curator of European Painting and Sculpture before 1900, Philadelphia Museum of Art. Following its run at the PMA, "African Art, African Voices" opened at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut on February 12, 2005. The records for the exhibition contain general planning material that includes correspondence, notes, research supports, press releases, installation images, and other related material. Also found within the records are exhibition DVD's, audio CD's, and videos's. The bulk of the records are dated from 2004 to 2005.
Curated by Carl Strehlke, Adjunct Curator of the John G. Johnson Collection at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, "Pontormo, Bronzino, and the Medici: The Transformation of the Renaissance Portrait in Florence" was an exhibition focused on two portraits by sixteenth-century masters, Pontormo and Bronzino. Bronzino's painting depicted Duke Cosimo l de' Medici, and Pontormo's portrait was of Duke Alessandro. The exhibition featured Florentine art in the form of paintings, drawings, and prints. The forty some works also included coins and medals. The records contain budget reports, research and subject files, images, loan documentation, and other material related to the planning of the exhibition. The bulk of the records are dated from 2003-2004.
The exhibition, "Edvard Munch's Mermaid," focused on the PMA's recent acquisition of the Munch painting, Mermaid. Painted in 1896, Mermaid had never been featured in a museum exhibition before and it had remained in private hands until it came to the PMA in 2003. The exhibition, curated by John Zarobell, Assistant Curator of European Painting before 1900, and Shelley R. Langdale, Assistant Curator of Prints and Drawings, included twenty paintings, drawings, and prints. The records include administrative and planning material, such as checklists, packets and excerpts, installation documentation, and general planning files. The files date from 2003 to 2005.
"Tesoros/Treasures/Tesouros: The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820," was a magnificent exhibition of 250 works of art created in what is today the countries of Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Mexico, Peru, Venezuela, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. The pieces on display were from both public and private collections and were made from various mediums including painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, and silver. Also exhibited were maps and manuscripts. The exhibition was curated by Joseph Rishel, who led an international team of scholars and researchers involved in the planning and preparation for the exhibit. After its run at the PMA, the exhibit then went on to Antiguo Colegio de San Ildefonso in Mexico City, followed by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Rishel was noted as saying "this exhibition is the first to disregard the boundaries created in the early nineteenth century during the birth of independent nation states in Latin Americirca It is a major reappraisal and gives our visitors an opportunity to make fresh discoveries among a dazzling array of remarkable works of art." The records contain loan files, administrative files, canceled loan files, planning and exhibition records, and the files of Suzanne Stratton-Pruitt. The bulk of the material is from 2002 to 2006.
The included files contain loan forms and letters between the Philadelphia Museum of Art and potential lenders, both institutional and individual. Photographs, insurance records, and other related materials are also found here.
The administrative files contain general records. The majority of the material is correspondence and documentation with other institutions and individuals. Also included are travel and financial records. The bulk of the material is from 2002 to 2006.
Painting and Sculpture Department Records / XI. Exhibition records / . "Tesoros/Treasures/Tesouros: The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820." September 20, 2006-December 31, 2006 / 4. Planning and exhibition files
This sub-subseries documents loans for the exhibition that were canceled. The bulk of the records are from 2005 to 2006.
The bulk of the planning and exhibition files pertain to preparing the exhibition catalogue, organizing the opening at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and documenting press and publicity following the opening. The bulk of the records are from 2006.
Painting and Sculpture Department Records / XI. Exhibition records / . "Tesoros/Treasures/Tesouros: The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820." September 20, 2006-December 31, 2006 / 2. Administrative files
Suzanne Stratton-Pruitt is a scholar of Spanish and Spanish-American art of the 17th and 18th centuries and assisted in organizing the exhibition. This sub-subseries contains her files for the exhibition and they include records such as correspondence, research supports, and planning documentation.
Occasionally curators begin planning exhibitions that, for one reason or another, never come to fruition. These records provide insight into the preparatory processes of unrealized exhibitions and include correspondence, fundraising information, and subject files that often represents several years of research.
In 1978 the Philadelphia Museum of Art received a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to plan and exhibition of the French rococo artists Jean-Baptiste Oudry. Working in conjunction with the Louvre and the Nelson-Atkins Gallery, Joe Rishel identified potential lenders for some 150 works, including paintings, drawings, and tapestries. Though scheduled to open in Philadelphia in the spring of 1983, the exhibition was never realized at this location. The bulk of the exhibition records contain correspondence and loan materials. Budget, contract, and funding files are also included along with a lecture Joe Rishel delivered when the exhibition traveled to Kansas City.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art had planned to host a traveling exhibition of works by Lucas van Leyden and his contemporaries that was organized by Ellen S. Jacobowitz, Associate Curator of Prints at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and Stephanie Stepanek, Assistant Curator of Prints at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Though slated to open in the fall of 1980, the exhibition was never realized in Philadelphia. In 1983, however, Jacobowitz and Stepanek debuted the exhibition at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. and it traveled to Boston later that year. Records include the exhibition proposal, memoranda, and research files.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art was originally scheduled to host a traveling exhibition of the painting of Guido Reni from March 10 to May 10, 1989 but withdrew its participation in 1988. The exhibition travelled as planned to the Pinacoteca Nazionale of Bologna and the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The Kimbell Museum in Fort Worth, Texas arranged to host the exhibition during the time originally planned for the Philadelphia showing. Contents in this subseries include correspondence, catalogue entries, loan materials, exhibition lists, and funding records.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
In 1989 Joseph Rishel and Carl Strehlke proposed a monographic exhibition of paintings and drawings by Lorenzo Lotto and identifying possible loans and creating object files. Though the exhibition was never realized, the initial correspondence, proposal, and exhibition lists are included here along with the foundational object files.
Files are arranged according to the curatorial department's original order beginning with alphabetically arranged object files and followed by administrative files.
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston originally collaborated with the Philadelphia Museum of Art to organize an exhibition of Northern Baroque paintings by Peter Paul Rubens and his followers Anthony van Dyck and Jacob Jordaens. At the time, the Philadelphia Museum of Art was not able to secure the necessary funding for the show, so the exhibition opened in Boston in 1993 and later traveled to the Toledo Museum of Art.
Files are arranged alphabetically by subject.
Proposals for future exhibitions and possible loans or exchanges that were never realized are inlcuded in this subseries. In most cases, planning for these exhibition is limited to the initial proposal and early correspondence. Some files may also include notes and early drafts of exhibition lists.
General files are arranged chronologically followed by specific proposals arranged alphabetically by subject.