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'''Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts''' (PAFA) is America's oldest art museum and school, housed in a National Historic Landmark building designed by Frank Furness and George Hewitt that ranks among the most important works of Victorian architecture in the United States. Founded in 1805 and occupying its current building since 1876, PAFA has trained generations of American artists while assembling a collection of American art from the colonial period to the present. The building's polychrome facade, elaborate interior, and distinctive ornament represent the peak of Furness's achievement and demonstrate how Philadelphia produced architecture of national significance during the Victorian era.<ref name="lewis">{{cite book |last=Lewis |first=Michael J. |title=Frank Furness: Architecture and the Violent Mind |year=2001 |publisher=W. W. Norton |location=New York}}</ref>
{{Infobox LocalBusiness
| name = Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
| image =
| image_caption = PAFA's Frank Furness building
| type = Art museum, art school
| address = 118-128 North Broad Street
| neighborhood = Center City
| coordinates = 39.9558,-75.1632
| phone = (215) 972-7600
| website = https://www.pafa.org
| established = 1805
| founder = Charles Willson Peale, William Rush, and others
| owner = Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
| employees =
| hours = Wed-Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
| products = Art museum, art education
| status = Active
}}
 
'''The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts''' (PAFA) is the oldest art museum and art school in the United States, founded in 1805 and located on North Broad Street in [[Center City, Philadelphia|Center City]]. The institution occupies two buildings: the stunning '''Frank Furness Building''' (1876), a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, and the modern '''Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building''' (2006). Together, they house one of the world's finest collections of American art and the nation's oldest fine arts training program.<ref name="pafa">{{cite web |url=https://www.pafa.org/about |title=About PAFA |publisher=Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts |access-date=December 30, 2025}}</ref>
 
PAFA's collection includes over 12,000 works spanning American art from the colonial period to the present, with particular strengths in 18th and 19th-century American painting and sculpture. Notable alumni include Mary Cassatt, Thomas Eakins, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Cecilia Beaux, and countless other significant American artists. The museum is designated a National Historic Landmark for both its artistic and architectural significance.<ref name="nhl">{{cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/places/pennsylvania-academy-of-the-fine-arts.htm |title=Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts |publisher=National Park Service |access-date=December 30, 2025}}</ref>


== History ==
== History ==


The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts was founded in 1805 by painter and scientist Charles Willson Peale, sculptor William Rush, and other Philadelphia civic leaders seeking to establish an institution for artistic education and exhibition. The Academy occupied various locations before commissioning its current building to celebrate America's Centennial in 1876. The competition-winning design by Frank Furness and George Hewitt created a building that expressed artistic ambition through architectural means, its originality matching the creativity expected of the institution it housed.<ref name="gallery">{{cite book |last=Gallery |first=John Andrew |title=Philadelphia Architecture: A Guide to the City |year=2016 |publisher=Paul Dry Books |location=Philadelphia}}</ref>
=== Founding ===
 
PAFA was founded in '''1805''' by a group of artists, businessmen, and civic leaders including:
* '''Charles Willson Peale:''' Painter and naturalist
* '''William Rush:''' Sculptor (considered the first American-born sculptor)
* 70 other founding subscribers
 
The Academy's mission was to "promote the cultivation of the Fine Arts in the United States" through exhibitions, instruction, and the development of collections.
 
=== Early Years ===
 
The Academy opened its first building in 1806 on Chestnut Street. The institution offered drawing classes and annual exhibitions that became important events in American cultural life.
 
=== The Furness Building (1876) ===
 
Architect '''Frank Furness''' designed the Academy's current historic building, which opened in 1876 to coincide with the Centennial Exposition. The building is considered Furness's masterpiece and one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic architecture in America.
 
=== Expansion ===


The Academy has trained many of America's most significant artists, including Thomas Eakins (who also taught there), Mary Cassatt, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Charles Demuth, and countless others. Its museum collection spans American art history, with particular strength in nineteenth-century painting and sculpture. The institution's dual identity—both museum and school—creates distinctive culture that emphasizes practice alongside appreciation. PAFA graduates continue contributing to American art, maintaining traditions of technical skill and conceptual ambition that the Academy has fostered for over two centuries.<ref name="lewis"/>
In 2006, PAFA opened the '''Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building''' across the street, designed by Gehry Partners. The contemporary structure provides additional gallery space and educational facilities.


== The Furness Building ==
== Architecture ==


The Furness and Hewitt building, completed in 1876, presents a facade of extraordinary complexity and originality. Brick, stone, and terra cotta in varied colors create polychrome patterns that distinguish the building from its neighbors while announcing its artistic purpose. The massive central entrance, flanked by oversized columns and topped by aggressive ornament, creates a portal of considerable visual intensity. Gothic, classical, and industrial motifs combine in ways that generate energy from their very incongruity—a design approach that anticipates aspects of twentieth-century modernism.<ref name="gallery"/>
=== The Furness Building ===


The interior develops themes introduced on the exterior, with elaborate iron stairs, richly decorated galleries, and spaces that prepare visitors for artistic encounter. The main stair hall, with its polychrome walls, ornamental metalwork, and filtered natural light, creates an experience of ascent as artistic preparation. The galleries, renovated over time while preserving essential character, provide settings where architecture enhances rather than competes with displayed art. The building's 1976 restoration and subsequent maintenance have preserved Furness's achievement for continued appreciation.<ref name="lewis"/>
Frank Furness's 1876 building is an architectural landmark:


== The Collection ==
==== Exterior ====
* '''Style:''' Victorian Gothic with Moorish and Renaissance influences
* '''Materials:''' Brick, sandstone, and granite in polychrome patterns
* '''Features:''' Dramatic pointed arches, decorative ironwork, and sculptural ornament


PAFA's collection represents American art from the colonial period through the present, with particular strength in the nineteenth century when Philadelphia was America's artistic center. Works by Benjamin West, Gilbert Stuart, Thomas Sully, and other early American painters document the nation's artistic development. Thomas Eakins's paintings, including major works created during his tenure as PAFA instructor, form a core of the collection. Sculpture by William Rush, Alexander Stirling Calder, and others demonstrates the institution's long engagement with three-dimensional art.<ref name="gallery"/>
==== Interior ====
* '''Grand Staircase:''' Monumental stair hall with ironwork and tile
* '''Gothic Gallery:''' Second-floor gallery with Gothic arched ceiling
* '''Natural light:''' Skylights designed to illuminate artwork
* '''Original finishes:''' Much of Furness's decorative work survives


Contemporary acquisitions continue building the collection, with works by living artists joining historical holdings. The collection's range—from colonial portraiture through twentieth-century abstraction to contemporary installation—reflects PAFA's identity as both preserver of traditions and participant in current artistic developments. Special exhibitions supplement permanent displays, bringing temporary installations and borrowed works that expand visitors' encounters with American art.<ref name="lewis"/>
=== The Hamilton Building ===


== The School ==
The contemporary Hamilton Building (2006) was designed by Gehry Partners:
* Modern galleries with flexible configurations
* Alumni Gallery featuring student and graduate work
* Sculpture garden
* Café and museum shop


PAFA's school continues training artists through programs ranging from certificate courses to Master of Fine Arts degrees. The curriculum emphasizes traditional skills—drawing, painting, sculpture—while engaging contemporary practice and theory. Students work in studios connected to museum galleries, creating dialogue between historical works and current production. This integration of museum and school distinguishes PAFA from institutions that separate education and exhibition.<ref name="gallery"/>
== Collection ==


The school's faculty includes practicing artists who bring professional experience to teaching. Alumni maintain connections through exhibitions, teaching positions, and continued participation in PAFA's artistic community. The institution's small scale allows personal attention that larger art schools cannot match. PAFA's identity as America's oldest art school gives students connection to traditions extending back to the Republic's earliest years.<ref name="lewis"/>
=== Highlights ===


== Hamilton Building ==
PAFA's collection includes American masterpieces:


The Hamilton Building, completed in 2006 across Cherry Street from the historic Furness building, provides additional gallery and studio space while maintaining architectural dialogue with its predecessor. Designed by Dagit Saylor Architects, the contemporary building respects the Furness building's presence while asserting its own identity through glass and metal facades. A bridge connects the two buildings, creating integrated campus that spans the street. The expansion demonstrates PAFA's continued vitality while providing facilities suited to contemporary artistic education and exhibition.<ref name="gallery"/>
{| class="wikitable"
! Work !! Artist !! Period
|-
| ''The Gross Clinic'' || Thomas Eakins || 1875
|-
| ''The Fox Hunt'' || Winslow Homer || 1893
|-
| ''Portrait of Mrs. Thomas Eakins'' || Thomas Eakins || 1899
|-
| ''Nymph and Satyr'' || William Rush || 1808
|-
| ''Portrait of Benjamin Franklin'' || Charles Willson Peale || 1785
|}
 
=== Thomas Eakins ===
 
'''Thomas Eakins''' (1844-1916) was both a student and longtime professor at PAFA. His masterpiece, ''The Gross Clinic'' (1875), depicting a surgical demonstration, is one of the most important American paintings of the 19th century and a centerpiece of the collection.
 
=== Collection Strengths ===
 
* 18th and 19th-century American painting
* Philadelphia school artists
* American sculpture
* Works on paper
* Contemporary American art
 
== Art School ==
 
=== Curriculum ===
 
PAFA offers rigorous training in traditional and contemporary art practices:
* Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
* Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
* Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
* Continuing Education
 
=== Notable Alumni ===
 
* '''Mary Cassatt''' (1844-1926): Impressionist painter
* '''Thomas Eakins''' (1844-1916): Realist painter
* '''Henry Ossawa Tanner''' (1859-1937): First internationally acclaimed African American artist
* '''Cecilia Beaux''' (1855-1942): Portrait painter
* '''Maxfield Parrish''' (1870-1966): Illustrator
* '''David Lynch''' (b. 1946): Filmmaker
 
== Visiting PAFA ==
 
=== Hours ===
 
* '''Wednesday-Sunday:''' 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
* '''Closed:''' Monday, Tuesday, and major holidays
 
=== Admission ===
 
* '''Adults:''' Approximately $18 (check website for current pricing)
* '''Seniors/Students:''' Discounts available
* '''Free:''' First Sunday of the month
 
=== What to See ===
 
* '''The Gross Clinic''' - PAFA's most famous work
* '''Frank Furness architecture''' - The building itself is art
* '''American Art Survey''' - Colonial to contemporary
* '''Current exhibitions''' - Rotating special shows
 
=== Getting There ===
 
* '''SEPTA Broad Street Line:''' Race-Vine Station
* '''SEPTA Regional Rail:''' Suburban Station (3 blocks)
* '''SEPTA Bus:''' Routes 4, 16, 27, 32
 
=== Nearby Attractions ===
 
* [[Reading Terminal Market]] (2 blocks)
* [[Philadelphia City Hall]] (3 blocks)
* [[Masonic Temple]] (1 block)


== See Also ==
== See Also ==
* [[Thomas Eakins]]
* [[Frank Furness]]
* [[Frank Furness]]
* [[Furness Style]]
* [[Art in Philadelphia]]
* [[Thomas Eakins]]
* [[Center City, Philadelphia]]
* [[Victorian Architecture]]
* [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]]


== References ==
== References ==
<references />
<references />
== External Links ==
* [https://www.pafa.org Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Official Website]
* [https://www.visitphilly.com/things-to-do/attractions/pennsylvania-academy-of-the-fine-arts/ Visit Philadelphia Guide]
* [https://www.nps.gov/places/pennsylvania-academy-of-the-fine-arts.htm National Park Service]


{{#seo:
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|title=Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) - Oldest Art Museum in America
|description=PAFA is America's oldest art museum and art school, housed in a landmark Frank Furness building and featuring collections of American art from the colonial period to the present.
|description=Visit PAFA, America's oldest art museum and art school, founded in 1805. The Gross Clinic, Frank Furness architecture, and 12,000+ works of American art in Center City Philadelphia.
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[[Category:Architecture]]
[[Category:Landmarks]]
[[Category:Landmark Buildings]]
[[Category:Museums]]
[[Category:Museums]]
[[Category:Art]]
[[Category:Historic Buildings]]
[[Category:Education]]
[[Category:Center City]]
[[Category:Art Institutions]]

Latest revision as of 21:04, 30 December 2025

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
TypeArt museum, art school
Address118-128 North Broad Street
MapView on Google Maps
NeighborhoodCenter City
Phone(215) 972-7600
WebsiteOfficial site
Established1805
FounderCharles Willson Peale, William Rush, and others
OwnerPennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
HoursWed-Sun 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
ProductsArt museum, art education
StatusActive
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts(215) 972-7600118-128 North Broad StreetPhiladelphiaPAUS

The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA) is the oldest art museum and art school in the United States, founded in 1805 and located on North Broad Street in Center City. The institution occupies two buildings: the stunning Frank Furness Building (1876), a masterpiece of Victorian Gothic architecture, and the modern Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building (2006). Together, they house one of the world's finest collections of American art and the nation's oldest fine arts training program.[1]

PAFA's collection includes over 12,000 works spanning American art from the colonial period to the present, with particular strengths in 18th and 19th-century American painting and sculpture. Notable alumni include Mary Cassatt, Thomas Eakins, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Cecilia Beaux, and countless other significant American artists. The museum is designated a National Historic Landmark for both its artistic and architectural significance.[2]

History

[edit | edit source]

Founding

[edit | edit source]

PAFA was founded in 1805 by a group of artists, businessmen, and civic leaders including:

  • Charles Willson Peale: Painter and naturalist
  • William Rush: Sculptor (considered the first American-born sculptor)
  • 70 other founding subscribers

The Academy's mission was to "promote the cultivation of the Fine Arts in the United States" through exhibitions, instruction, and the development of collections.

Early Years

[edit | edit source]

The Academy opened its first building in 1806 on Chestnut Street. The institution offered drawing classes and annual exhibitions that became important events in American cultural life.

The Furness Building (1876)

[edit | edit source]

Architect Frank Furness designed the Academy's current historic building, which opened in 1876 to coincide with the Centennial Exposition. The building is considered Furness's masterpiece and one of the finest examples of Victorian Gothic architecture in America.

Expansion

[edit | edit source]

In 2006, PAFA opened the Samuel M.V. Hamilton Building across the street, designed by Gehry Partners. The contemporary structure provides additional gallery space and educational facilities.

Architecture

[edit | edit source]

The Furness Building

[edit | edit source]

Frank Furness's 1876 building is an architectural landmark:

Exterior

[edit | edit source]
  • Style: Victorian Gothic with Moorish and Renaissance influences
  • Materials: Brick, sandstone, and granite in polychrome patterns
  • Features: Dramatic pointed arches, decorative ironwork, and sculptural ornament

Interior

[edit | edit source]
  • Grand Staircase: Monumental stair hall with ironwork and tile
  • Gothic Gallery: Second-floor gallery with Gothic arched ceiling
  • Natural light: Skylights designed to illuminate artwork
  • Original finishes: Much of Furness's decorative work survives

The Hamilton Building

[edit | edit source]

The contemporary Hamilton Building (2006) was designed by Gehry Partners:

  • Modern galleries with flexible configurations
  • Alumni Gallery featuring student and graduate work
  • Sculpture garden
  • Café and museum shop

Collection

[edit | edit source]

Highlights

[edit | edit source]

PAFA's collection includes American masterpieces:

Work Artist Period
The Gross Clinic Thomas Eakins 1875
The Fox Hunt Winslow Homer 1893
Portrait of Mrs. Thomas Eakins Thomas Eakins 1899
Nymph and Satyr William Rush 1808
Portrait of Benjamin Franklin Charles Willson Peale 1785

Thomas Eakins

[edit | edit source]

Thomas Eakins (1844-1916) was both a student and longtime professor at PAFA. His masterpiece, The Gross Clinic (1875), depicting a surgical demonstration, is one of the most important American paintings of the 19th century and a centerpiece of the collection.

Collection Strengths

[edit | edit source]
  • 18th and 19th-century American painting
  • Philadelphia school artists
  • American sculpture
  • Works on paper
  • Contemporary American art

Art School

[edit | edit source]

Curriculum

[edit | edit source]

PAFA offers rigorous training in traditional and contemporary art practices:

  • Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA)
  • Master of Fine Arts (MFA)
  • Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
  • Continuing Education

Notable Alumni

[edit | edit source]
  • Mary Cassatt (1844-1926): Impressionist painter
  • Thomas Eakins (1844-1916): Realist painter
  • Henry Ossawa Tanner (1859-1937): First internationally acclaimed African American artist
  • Cecilia Beaux (1855-1942): Portrait painter
  • Maxfield Parrish (1870-1966): Illustrator
  • David Lynch (b. 1946): Filmmaker

Visiting PAFA

[edit | edit source]

Hours

[edit | edit source]
  • Wednesday-Sunday: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
  • Closed: Monday, Tuesday, and major holidays

Admission

[edit | edit source]
  • Adults: Approximately $18 (check website for current pricing)
  • Seniors/Students: Discounts available
  • Free: First Sunday of the month

What to See

[edit | edit source]
  • The Gross Clinic - PAFA's most famous work
  • Frank Furness architecture - The building itself is art
  • American Art Survey - Colonial to contemporary
  • Current exhibitions - Rotating special shows

Getting There

[edit | edit source]
  • SEPTA Broad Street Line: Race-Vine Station
  • SEPTA Regional Rail: Suburban Station (3 blocks)
  • SEPTA Bus: Routes 4, 16, 27, 32

Nearby Attractions

[edit | edit source]

See Also

[edit | edit source]

References

[edit | edit source]
  1. ↑ "About PAFA". Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Retrieved December 30, 2025
  2. ↑ "Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts". National Park Service. Retrieved December 30, 2025
[edit | edit source]
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