Best Paintings at Philadelphia Museum of Art
 

I'll be in Philadelphia for a couple of days this month. I'd love to hear about anyone's favorite paintings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

They have quite a nice collection of paintings by Thomas Eakins, whose paintings of rowers I really like.

La Nanna
 

I don't know if it is still part of the collection, or maybe it was part of a exhibition, but I've only visited once 12 years ago and this painting by Frederic Leighton was the only one that I remember really enjoying. When I found this pic online, it said it was in a private collection, so excuse me if it is no longer in the museum.

Working just to the left of me at Mims' Studio is a painter who hails from Philly. I'll pick his brain tomorrow and post his response.

Linda--

There are two I would recommend, though the Philadelphia Museum is a fabulous place, and there are many.

One is "The Moorish Chief", by Eduard Charlemont. It's totally sumptuous.

The other is an "Annunciation" by Henry Ossawa Tanner, that stands all of the conventions around showing Mary and the Angel on their heads. Totally innovative, and powerfully moving.

Both of these are poor reproductions--sorry.

You'll love it there.

Best-TE

And the Tanner...

Linda,

I hope you won't miss the excellent Raeburn paintings. I don't have the title for painting attached and regret the poor quality of the shot(The museum would not allow a tripod).

Jim, it seems as if you and I share a great appreciation for Raeburn's work. If you end up ordering either of those books or if you know where there is more information or reproductions of his work I'd love to know about it. There's a freshness in his portraits that I don't see too often.

Thank you, everyone
 

The Philadelphia Museum of Art is one of those marvelous places with a surprise around every corner. I was supremely happy wandering around there.

Jim and Michele, there is an entire room devoted to Raeburn's works (I think it's room 216 but I'm not sure). The paintings aren't very well lit and were in some cases hung too high to really get a good look at them. Nevertheless it was an enormous thrill to stand in that room for, oh, a good half hour or so. (I was the only one in the room.) By the way, I counted at least 6 Raeburns at the Met in New York (and at least one at the Frick). Why are there NO books on Raeburn in any of these Museum gift shops?

Tom, I saw both the paintings you posted and they were beautiful. The Tanner painting was so honest and haunting - a completely original version of an often-portrayed event. The only problem for me was that it's hung right across from that huge Eakins operating room painting. Hard to tell which way to turn.

Jimmie, I also admire Lord Leighton but I couldn't find your posted painting in the museum. The only Leighton original I've ever seen in the U.S. was in San Francisco, I think ("Flaming June").

Linda--

Glad you got to go--it's a GREAT museum.

Best--TE

Linda,

I have had little luck finding anything about Raeburn. I recently bought (eBay) a book published London before 1915 that has 49 black and white repro's of his work but the link that someone recommended (Scotlandsource.com) does not seem to work and e-mails to their web site have been unanswered. If anyone learns of a better source let us know.

Jim

Jim, here is the URL to Scotlandsource's stuff on Raeburn.

http://www.scotlandsource.com/henry-raeburn/home.htm

Additionally here is a good page to see .jpg images from various museums.

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists...sir_henry.html

Hi Carl,

Thanks for the info. The second link doesn't seem to work, though the first one does.

I was enthralled by a couple of small Raeburn portraits of children that were in the Seattle Art Museum not long ago. Very fresh color and brushwork. I'm glad to be able to see more of his work online.

Carl,

Thanks for your note. The first link (Scotlandsource) is the very same that I have attempted to use to order books and it does not work (You cannot place an order). I have tried several browsers and it has made no difference. E-mail to the same site is not delivered either.

I have used the second link with success and have it bookmarked for frequent visits.

Jim

Hi Michele :)
Try the link either later or another day. I got the site to load off it once and almost load another time. The rest of the time it came up not there. The server must be overloaded, or something is off with it now. I didn't follow many of the links there, but they had a number of museum links with a picture, or pictures of Raeburn that they have.

Jim,

Sorry, I wish I could have been more help.

I found a site last night that may be of some use. The "World Wide Arts Resources" website at http://www.wwar.com has a section on artists of the past.

Go to the pull down menu where it says "Select a Database" (in the top right area of the screen). Then choose "Art History - Artists". Type in whatever artist you want to research and it shows you a list of his or her works by linking to the museum sites where they are held.

When I typed in Raeburn I got several examples, my favorite of which is the one I posted here.

Michele, that's one of my all-time favorite paintings, and thanks for posting such a good image. Here's the title and info:

Sir Duncan Campbell, Scot Guards (c.1815)
oil, 50" x 40"
The Fine Arts Museum of San Francisco

I'm starting to think that part of the reason that Raeburn is obscure is because people confuse him with other British portrait artists whose names begin with 'R'....
Reynolds, Romney, Ramsey.

Jimmie, I believe the Frederick Leighton portrait is still at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. I saw it in the 19th century European galleries to the north of the foot of the grand staircase, just two weeks ago. Its my wife's favorite painting. Occasionally the hanging order of the collections are modified. I think paintings are rotated, since there are more popular paintings in the collection than there are room to display at any given time. But that is just my theory of why it was not hung when others were looking for it.

Garth