30
June
2019
|
23:00 PM
America/New_York

Upcoming Schedule of Exhibitions through Spring 2020

Sean Scully: The Shape of Ideas
Dorrance Special Exhibition Galleries, second floor

The museum is currently closed. New exhibition dates to be announced.

This major retrospective will feature Sean Scully’s most significant works from the 1970s to the present. It will closely examine his contribution to the history of abstract art and his mastery of technique by focusing on the various mediums, motifs and scales that have defined the artist’s practice over time. The exhibition will center on paintings, drawings, prints, and pastels, demonstrating the integral relationships between works in various media, which are rarely exhibited together.

A new publication will accompany the exhibition, co-authored by exhibition curators Timothy Rub, the George D. Widener Director and CEO, and Amanda Sroka, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art. It will be the first to examine thoroughly the breadth of Sean Scully’s work within a biographical context, exploring his life and art. Co-published by the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Yale University Press, the catalogue will present an in-depth account of Scully’s work, informed by extensive recent interviews with the artist and comprehensive art historical research.

Scully (American, born Ireland) is a painter, printmaker, sculptor and poet. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Peter Stuyvesant Foundation Prize, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, and the Harkness Fellowship, as well as a two-time Turner Prize nominee. Scully’s works are in numerous private and public collections, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, and the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. In 2015, Scully participated in the Venice Biennale with his solo exhibition Land Sea at the Palazzo Falier. The upcoming retrospective will be the artist’s first of this scale in the United States since Sean Scully: Twenty Year, 1976-1995, which was presented in 1995 at the Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden in Washington, D.C. The artist divides his time between New York, England, and Germany.

Curators
Timothy Rub, The George D. Widener Director and Chief Executive Officer

Amanda Sroka, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art

Itinerary
The exhibition will travel to the Modern Art Museum of Forth Worth from September 13, 2020, to January 3, 2021.

Support
This exhibition is generously supported by the Annenberg Foundation Fund for Major Exhibitions, the Robert Montgomery Scott Endowment for Exhibitions, the Kathleen C. and John J.F. Sherrerd Fund for Exhibitions, the Gloria and Jack Drosdick Fund for Special Exhibitions and the Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Exhibition Fund. Credits as of July 8, 2019

"Chelsea Wall #1," 1999, by Sean Scully. Oil on linen, 110 x 132“. Gift of John J. Hannan, 2010. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
"The Fall," 1983, by Sean Scully. Oil on canvas, 9 feet 8 inches x 8 feet 5/8 inches. Gift of Jeffrey H. Loria, 2017. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2020. © Sean Scully.
Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
"The Fall (installation view)," 1983, by Sean Scully. Oil on canvas, 116 x 96.6”. Gift of Jeffrey H. Loria, 2017. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Joseph Hu.
Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.

Ongoing Exhibitions

Fault Lines: Contemporary Abstraction by Artists from South Asia
Alter Gallery, second floor

The museum is currently closed. New exhibition closing dates to be announced.

Spanning six decades – from the 1960s to the present – the installation will include recent acquisitions and select loans to feature the work of artists born in South Asia, among them Tanya Goel (b. 1985, active in New Delhi) and Zarina Hashmi (b. 1937, active in New York), known professionally as simply Zarina, whose works offer an expanded notion of abstraction through an emphasis on the politics and poetics of the abstract line.

This presentation is organized collaboratively between the museum’s Contemporary and South Asian Art departments.

Curator
Amanda Sroka, Assistant Curator of Contemporary Art

Support
This exhibition has been made possible with support from the museum’s endowment, through the Daniel W. Dietrich II Fund for Excellence in Contemporary Art.

  • "notation in x, y, z," 2015, by Tanya Goel (b. 1985, India). Graphite, pigment and oil on canvas, 7 × 9 feet. Gift of Bernhard and Ranjana Steinruecke, 2016.
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  • Installation view of "Index: pages (builders drawing)," 2015, by Tanya Goel (b. 1985, India). Neel blue chalk pigment, cotton construction thread, installation: 151.5 x 682 cm). Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney with generous assistance from Susan Acret and James Roth Installation view of the 21st Biennale of Sydney (2018) at Artspace. Photograph by Zan Wimberley, Courtesy the artist and Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke.
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  • Side view of "Index: pages (builders drawing)," 2015, by Tanya Goel (b. 1985, India). Neel blue chalk pigment, cotton construction thread, installation: 151.5 x 682 cm). Commissioned by the Biennale of Sydney with generous assistance from Susan Acret and James Roth Installation view of the 21st Biennale of Sydney (2018) at Artspace. Photograph by Zan Wimberley, Courtesy the artist and Galerie Mirchandani + Steinruecke.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • "Untitled," 1969, by Zarina (b. 1937, India). Woodcut printed in burnt umber on Indian handmade paper. Edition 16/20 from an edition of 20 30 x 22 inches. Purchased with the Stella Kramrisch Fund for Indian and Himalayan Art, and with the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund, 2019.
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  • Installation view of "A Blanket and the Sky," 2004, by Sheela Gowda (b. 1957, India). Tar drum sheets, blanket, 262 x 157 x 88 cm. Collection of Thomas Erben, New York. Image courtesy of Queens Museum. Photo credit: Hai Zhang.
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  • "These Cities Blotted into the Wilderness (Adrienne Rich after Ghalib)," 2003, by Zarina (b. 1937, India). Portfolio of nine woodcuts with Urdu text printed in black on Okawara paper and mounted on Somerset paper. Edition 12/20 from an edition of 20 and 2 APs. Sheet size: 16 x 14 inches. Purchased with the Stella Kramrisch Fund for Indian and Himalayan Art, and with the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund, 2019.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • "Baghdad¸" as featured in the portfolio, "These Cities Blotted into the Wilderness (Adrienne Rich after Ghalib)," 2003, by Zarina (b. 1937, India). Portfolio of nine woodcuts with Urdu text printed in black on Okawara paper and mounted on Somerset paper. Edition 12/20 from an edition of 20 and 2 APs. Sheet size: 16 x 14 inches. Purchased with the Stella Kramrisch Fund for Indian and Himalayan Art, and with the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund, 2019.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.

Now, She: Two Sculptures by Ursula von Rydingsvard
Anne d’Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden

The museum is currently closed. New exhibition closing dates to be announced.

Two monumental sculptures by Ursula von Rydingsvard, Bronze Bowl with Lace, and Elegantka II, are on view in the Anne d’Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden. These works are representative of the artist’s signature forms, scale, materials, and techniques, and convey a sense of deep emotion.

Bronze Bowl with Lace (2013-2014, cast 2017-2018) was cast from a full-scale cedar model. The top of the bronze is perforated and delicately lit from within with a soft amber light that lights with the evening sky. Elegantka II (2013-2014, cast 2016) is an exact urethane resin cast of another full-scale cedar model. The natural spiral form undulates and shifts from its narrow base through a knotty midsection and into its voluminous crown. It is situated on a mound near the entrance to the Sculpture Garden.

Ursula von Rydingsvard was born in Deensen, Germany and has lived and worked in New York since the 1970s. Her work has been exhibited internationally and is represented in the collections of major museums including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Museum of Modern Art; the National Gallery of Art; the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; and the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. In 2015, Princeton University permanently installed her first monumental work in hand-pounded copper. She has been honored by the Skowhegan Medal for Sculpture, and has received three awards from the American section of the International Association of Art Critics, and the International Sculpture Center Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

Curator
Alice Beamesderfer, the Pappas-Sarbanes Deputy Director for Collections and Programs

  • Bronze Bowl with Lace, Production: 2013-14 Date of casting: 2015, by Ursula von Rydingsvard. Bronze 19.6 x 9.4 x 10 feet. Edition of 3. Installation view: Anne d'Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden, Philadelphia Museum of Art. © Ursula von Rydingsvard Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018. Photo by Tim Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Bronze Bowl with Lace, Production: 2013-14 Date of casting: 2015, by Ursula von Rydingsvard. Bronze 19.6 x 9.4 x 10 feet. Edition of 3. Installation view: Anne d'Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden, Philadelphia Museum of Art. © Ursula von Rydingsvard Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018. Photo by Tim Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Elegantka II (2013–14, cast 2016), by Ursula von Rydingsvard. Urethane resin 10.5 x 3.8 x 3.8 feet (3.20 x 1.2 x 1.2 m) Edition of 3 + 1 . Installation view: Anne d'Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden, Philadelphia Museum of Art. © Ursula von Rydingsvard Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018. Photo by Tim Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Elegantka II (2013–14, cast 2016), by Ursula von Rydingsvard. Urethane resin 10.5 x 3.8 x 3.8 feet (3.20 x 1.2 x 1.2 m) Edition of 3 + 1 . Installation view: Anne d'Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden, Philadelphia Museum of Art. © Ursula von Rydingsvard Courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018. Photo by Tim Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Portrait of Ursula von Rydingsvard. © Ursula von Rydingsvard, courtesy Galerie Lelong & Co. Photo by Zonder Titel and Zack Garlitos.
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Marisa Merz
Gallery 271

The museum is currently closed. New exhibition closing dates to be announced.

This installation celebrates the life and legacy of pioneering Italian artist Marisa Merz (1926–2019). Occupying a unique and pivotal position in postwar European art, Merz’s work combines a keen attention to materials with a deeply personal symbolism.

Coming of age in Italy in the turbulence of the 1960s, she is the sole female artist affiliated with Arte Povera—a term coined in 1967 to describe a group of artists whose work emphasized process and the use of unconventional materials in an attempt to connect art and life.

Imbuing the ordinary with redemptive and revelatory qualities, Merz’s sculptures, paintings, and drawings employ malleable materials like copper wire, wax, and unfired clay. As these elements are knotted, woven, and recombined—techniques often linked to craft and female labor—she insistently subverts antiquated stereotypes of the feminine and the maternal through the incorporation of heavy metals and industrial paints.

For many years Merz refrained from both dating her artwork and presenting it in traditional exhibition settings. This selective participation in the larger art system stemmed from her conception of art as inseparable from and entwined with daily life. Equally inspired by Byzantine religious icons, Renaissance painting, and domestic interactions with her husband, Mario Merz, and daughter, Beatrice, her work reflects an ongoing exploration of the tensions between the private and the public, the spiritual and the profane.

This gallery features a number of the artist’s recurring visual motifs, such as the female head, the flowing fountain, and musical instruments whose sounds are heard only in the viewer’s mind. With their delicate and textured surfaces, Merz’s works beckon us into a cosmos all her own.

In Memoriam

Marisa Merz was organized in collaboration with the Fondazione Merz, Turin. It has been madepossible with support from the museum’s endowment, through the Daniel W. Dietrich II Fundfor Excellence in Contemporary Art.

Senza titolo (Untitled)," c. 1985, by Marisa Merz. Wood, lead, and wax, 33 7/16 × 9 13/16 × 3 1/2 inches. Courtesy Gladstone Gallery, New York & Brussels. Purchased with the Contemporary Art Revolving Fund, 2015. Image courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
"Fontana (Fountain),” 2007, by Marisa Merz. Lead, motor, stone, water and copper wire, 7 1/16 × 31 1/2 × 21 5/8 inches. Courtesy the Collection of Leo Katz.
Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.

Rethinking the Modern Monument
Rodin Museum, 2151 Benjamin Franklin Parkway

The museum is currently closed. New exhibition closing dates to be announced.

The exhibition explores Auguste Rodin’s legacy in public monuments. It focuses on major Rodin works throughout the museum and grounds, as well as modern sculpture from the collection to trace Rodin’s impact on monument design and modern sculpture. Revealing the controversial histories of Rodin’s commissions for public monuments across France in the early years of the French Third Republic (1870 -1940), the exhibition probes questions that remain vital today: what is the proper function of the public monument, what should it look like, and who decides? Exploring Rodin’s history and models for monuments, Rethinking the Modern Monument sparks connections to the ongoing conversation about new approaches to American monuments today.

Key works include Rodin’s Balzac (modeled in clay 1897; cast in bronze 1925) and Burghers of Calais (modeled 1884-1895; cast 1919-1921), Emmanuel Frémiet’s Joan of Arc (c.1874), and Pablo Picasso’s Man with a Lamb, 1943 (cast between 1948 and 1950). Plaster casts of Rodin’s sculptures are included in the display, such as Study for a Monument (modeled mid 1890s; cast c. 1926) and Project for the Monument Eugéne Carriére (modeled 1912; cast 1926). Modern works drawn from the collection include figurative bronze sculptures by Barbara Hepworth, Jacques Lipchitz, Henri Matisse, Marino Marini, Chana Orloff, and Alberto Giacometti, among many others.

Curator
Alexander Kauffman, The Andrew W. Mellon - Anne d’Harnoncourt Postdoctoral Curatorial Fellow

  • Installation image of Rethinking the Modern Monument, Rodin Museum. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Timothy Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • "First Study for Government of the People" by Jacques Lipchitz, 1967. Bronze. 16 1/2 x 10 1/2 x 6 inches. © The Estate of Jacques Lipchitz, courtesy Marlborough Gallery, New York. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Paul M. Ingersoll, 1981. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Installation image of Rethinking the Modern Monument, Rodin Museum. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Timothy Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • "Small Horseman" by Marino Marini, 1949. Bronze. 16 3/8 × 6 1/8 × 11 inches (41.6 × 15.6 × 27.9 cm). Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / SIAE, Rome. The Louis E. Stern Collection, 1963. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • "Standing Figure" by Alberto Giacometti, 1957-1958. Bronze. 10 7/8 x 3 1/8 x 6 3/4 inches. © 2009 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP / FAAG, Paris. The Louis E. Stern Collection, 1963. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "The Dancers (Sailor and Sweetheart)" by Chana Orloff. Modeled 1923, cast in bronze. 1929. 38 1/2 x 21 x 16 inches. Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris. Purchased with the Bloomfield Moore Fund, 1937. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Installation image of Rethinking the Modern Monument, Rodin Museum. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Timothy Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Installation image of Rethinking the Modern Monument, Rodin Museum. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Timothy Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Installation image of Rethinking the Modern Monument, Rodin Museum. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Timothy Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Installation image of Rethinking the Modern Monument, Rodin Museum. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Timothy Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Installation image of Rethinking the Modern Monument, Rodin Museum. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Timothy Tiebout.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.

New Galleries of Chinese Art
Main Building, Second Floor

The museum is currently closed.

The museum has recently unveiled its newly renovated and reimagined galleries dedicated to Chinese art. The presentation showcases art in all media, including paintings, sculpture, porcelains, ceramics, carvings, metalwork, costume and textiles, furniture, and contemporary works.

The Philadelphia Museum of Art houses one of the country’s earliest Chinese art collections, initially established through purchases made at the Centennial International Exhibition held in Philadelphia in 1876. Today it includes more than 7,000 works in a wide range of media spanning more than 4000 years. Strengths include Tang dynasty (618–907) tomb figures, Song dynasty (960–1127) ceramics as well as Ming (1368–1644) and Qing dynasty (1644–1911) imperial art and Buddhist sculpture. The collection includes more than 500 paintings, dating from the 12th to the 20th centuries, as well as costumes and textiles, furniture, jades, lacquer wares, and cloisonné. It also features three remarkable architectural interiors: an early 15th century coffered ceiling from an imperial Buddhist temple, a 17th century painted wood reception hall, and an 18th century scholar’s study that provide context for the collection and an exceptional immersive experience.

This renovation and reinstallation of the Chinese galleries is the next step in an ongoing series of reinstallations of the museum’s collection that began with the Rodin Museum in 2012 and continued with the renovation of its galleries of South Asian art in 2016. The reinstallation is led by project director Dr. Hiromi Kinoshita, The Hannah L. and J. Welles Henderson Associate Curator of Chinese Art, who’s interpretive plan is arranged around key themes through which four thousand years of art can be understood.

Coinciding with the reopening of its galleries of Chinese art, the museum has published Chinese Art: Highlights from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, in association with Yale University Press (256 pp.) This illustrated book features highlights ranging from antiquity to the present day. It includes an introductory essay by Dr. Kinoshita about the collection’s formation, illuminating its unique character and importance. The volume is available for purchase in the Museum Store or online via store.philamuseum.org.

Curator
Hiromi Kinoshita, The Hannah L. and J. Welles Henderson Curator of Chinese Art

  • Installation view, featuring figurines relating to concepts and practices of the afterlife. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Joseph Hu.
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  • “Musicians on Horseback,” mid-7th century, made in China. Earthenware with traces of painted decoration, dimensions vary from 10 3/4 - 12 5/16 x 8 11/16 - 9 7/16 inches. Gift of Charles H. Ludington from the George Crofts Collection, 1923. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • “Tomb Guardian Creatures (Zhenmushou),” early to mid-8th century, made in China. Left figure: Earthenware with three-colored (sancai) glaze, 38 5/16 × 13 15/16 × 9 11/16 inches. Right figure: Earthenware with sancai (tricolor) glaze and traces of painted decoration on head, 38 1/16 × 15 1/16 × 9 3/8 inches. Gift of Charles H. Ludington from the George Crofts Collection, 1923. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Votive Stele," mid- 6th century, artist/maker unknown, Chinese. Marble with traces of painted decoration, 22 1/16 × 10 7/8 × 5 7/8 inches. Gift of Stanley Griswold Flagg, Jr., 1927. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Horse," artist/maker unknown, Chinese, 2nd century. Earthenware with traces of painted decoration, 47 inches. Gift of Jeffrey C. and Carol B. Blank, 2005. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • Installation view, featuring contemporary photography and sculptural objects relating to concepts and practices of the afterlife. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Joseph Hu.
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  • "Post from a House-shaped Sarcophagus," first half of 8th century, artist/maker unknown, Chinese. Limestone, 41 5/16 x 11 7/16 inches; Width of rabbets: 3 1/8 inches - 3 7/8 inches. Purchased with Museum funds, 1931. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Panel from a House-shaped Sarcophagus," first half of 8th century, artist/maker unknown, Chinese. Limestone, 41 5/16 × 22 13/16 × 3 9/16 inches. Purchased with Museum funds, 1931. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Post from a House-shaped Sarcophagus," first half of 8th century, artist/maker unknown, Chinese. Limestone, 41 5/16 × 11 7/16 × 6 15/16 inches. Purchased with Museum funds, 1931. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Cricket Cage," artist/maker unknown, Chinese, late 18th - 19th century. Ivory, gourd, 3 9/16 x 2 1/2 inches. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John Story Jenks, 1929. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Covered Box with the Three Friends of Winter," artist/maker unknown, Chinese, Yongle Period (1403-1424). Wood with carved red lacquer decoration, 4 1/16 x 10 3/4 inches. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Morton Jenks, 1953. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Orchids and Rocks," 1606, by Zhou Shichen, Cao Xi, and Cao Xi, Chinese, active first half of 17th century. Wanli Period (1573-1620). Ink on paper; mounted as a handscroll, 12 1/8 inches × 7 feet 3 1/4 inches. Purchased with the J. Stogdell Stokes Fund, 1968. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • “Snuff Bottle,” 1662–1722 (Kangxi Period, 1662–1722), made in China. Copper with enamel decoration; copper stopper; ivory spoon, 2 1/8 × 1 9/16 × 1 inches. Gift of Major General and Mrs. William Crozier, 1944. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018.
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  • “Cup in the Form of a Half Peach,” 18th century, made in China. Unglazed stoneware (Yixing ware), 2 3/4 × 4 7/8 × 3 7/8 inches. The Dr. Francis W. Lewis Collection, 1905. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018.
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  • "Seated Twins of Union and Harmony, Hanshan and Shide," artist/maker unknown, Chinese. Late Ming-early Qing dynasty, 17th century. Porcelain with white glaze (Dehua ware), 4 1/2 × 6 5/16 × 3 9/16 inches.Gift of Major General and Mrs. William Crozier, 1944. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Crystal Ball," 19th - early 20th century, artist/maker unknown, Chinese. Rock crystal (quartz), 8 11/16 inches, 31 pounds 8.4 ounces; silver stand, 17 3/8 inches. Gift of Major General and Mrs. William Crozier, 1944. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2021.
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  • "English-style Bookcase," c. 1798, artist/maker unknown, Chinese, for export to the American market. Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Rosewood and mahogany with lacquer and gilt decoration, 73 1/2 x 39 3/4 x 12 5/8 inches. Purchased with the Thomas Skelton Harrison Fund, 1970. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Descending from the Above," 2016, by Zheng Chongbin, (American, born China, 1961). Ink and acrylic on xuan paper; mounted on wood frame, 6 feet 2 13/16 inches × 8 feet 10 5/16 inches. © Zheng Chongbin. Purchased with funds contributed by June and Simon K.C. Li, 2017. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • “Insignia Badge for an Imperial Noble or Military Officer,” 1662–1722 (Kangxi Period, 1662–1722), made in China. Silk plain weave with silk and gilt thread embroidery in couching, satin, outline, and padded satin stitches, 14 3/4 x 13 3/4 inches. Purchased with the John T. Morris Fund from the Carl Schuster Collection, 1940. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Emperor's Dragon Robe (Mang Pao)," c. 1840, Daoguang Period (1821-1850). Silk slit tapestry weave (kesi), Center Back Length: 61 inches. Purchased with Museum funds, 1951. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Jar with Dragons and Shou Characters," 1522-1566, Jiajing Period (1522-1566). Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration (Jingdezhen ware). 20 1/2 x 20 1/4 inches. Gift of Major General and Mrs. William Crozier, 1944. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • "Ritual Disc (Bi)," c. 2250 BCE, Neolithic Period, Liangzhu Culture (c. 3400-2250 BCE). Jade (nephrite); wood stand, Diameter: 6 11/16 inches; Thickness: 3/8 inches. Gift of Major General and Mrs. William Crozier, 1944. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019.
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  • “Dog Cage,” late 18th–19th century, made in China. Brass with cloisonné enamel and gilt decoration; jade rings, 45 1/2 x 32 x 24 3/4 inches. Gift of the Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1964. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2018.
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  • Jacklyn Chi, Mellon Fellow in Paper Conservation, treated a watercolor painting of a seated Emperor with a court official on plith paper. This treatment involved the repairing of tears, reattachment of fragments, and filling losses in the paper. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Jason Wierzbicki.
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  • Jacklyn Chi, Mellon Fellow in Paper Conservation, treated a watercolor painting of a seated Emperor with a court official on plith paper. This treatment involved the repairing of tears, reattachment of fragments, and filling losses in the paper. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Jason Wierzbicki.
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  • A Conservation technician used a soft brush and controlled vacuum to clean the painted wood of the Reception Hall from the Palace of Duke Zhao, 1640s, China (Beijing). Ming dynasty, 1368–1644. Gift of Edward B. Robinette, 1929. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Jason Wierzbicki.
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  • Peggy Olley, Associate Conservator of Furniture and Woodwork, treated a pair of wardrobes made from 1700–1800, China. Qing dynasty, 1644–1911. Lacquered wood with incised, painted, and gilt decoration; brass fittings. Gifts of A. W. Bahr, 1939. Image courtesy of Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2019. Photo by Jason Wierzbicki.
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South Asian Galleries
Main Building, Second Floor

The museum is currently closed.

In a complete transformation of our renowned South Asian galleries, one of the world’s most significant collections of art from a vast area including India, Iran, Tibet, and parts of Southeast Asia is presented anew. Highlights include a stone temple hall from southern India, courtly Indian miniature paintings, ornate Buddhist works from Tibet and Nepal, colorful textiles, and lively temple sculptures. The galleries also feature significant physical improvements, such as state-of-the-art lighting, flooring, and casework that enhance the presentation of storied objects.

New works added to the collection include Shahzia Sikander’s video animation Disruption as Rapture (2016), which reimagines the Museum’s rare 1743 manuscript titled Gulshan-i-Ishq (Rose Garden of Love), and two large piccawai, or shrine hangings.

Curator
Darielle Mason, The Stella Kramrisch Curator of Indian and Himalayan Art

Support
The reinstallation of the Museum’s galleries of South Asian Art was made possible by the Estate of Phyllis T. Ballinger, The Women’s Committee of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Institute of Museum and Library Services, The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, William Penn Foundation, Gupta Family Foundation Ujala, E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation, and The McLean Contributionship. Generous donors to this initiative include Steve and Gretchen Burke, Sailesh and Manidipa Chowdhury, Mr. and Mrs. Donald Kimelman, Mr. and Mrs. Shantanu RoyChowdhury, Pamela and Ajay Raju, the Jones Wajahat Family, Paritosh M. and Srimati Chakrabarti, Drs. Julia A. and Eugene P. Ericksen, Ira Brind and Stacey Spector, Lyn M. Ross, Dennis Alter, Andrea Baldeck M.D., Tushar and Amrita Desai, Shanta Ghosh, David Haas, Dr. Krishna Lahiri, David and Jean Yost, and other generous donors. Additional support for the Museum’s building project is provided by Hersha, Shanta Ghosh, and Osagie and Losenge Imasogie. (Credits as of October 2016)

  • South Asian Art - Gallery 324, third floor, Pillared Temple Hall. Gift of Susan Pepper Gibson, Mary Gibson Henry, and Henry C. Gibson in memory of Adeline Pepper Gibson, 1919. Photo: Philadelphia Museum of Art
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  • South Asian Art - Hall from Madanagopalaswamy Temple, Madurai, South India, c.1560. Granitic stone. Gift of Susan Pepper Gibson, Mary Gibson Henry and Henry C. Gibson in memory of Adeline Pepper Gibson. Young Girl’s Sari (on wall), 19th to mid-20th century. Purchased with funds contributed by the Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Stella Kramrisch Fund for Indian and Himalayan Art, 2012. Poet-Saint Dedicated to the God Shiva, (foreground), c. 11th century or later. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Elliott H. Eisman, 2014. Photo: Courtesy Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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  • South Asian Art - Entrance to South Asian Galleries, third floor. Sasanian Portal, Mid-500s, Iran (Damghan). Sasanid dynasty, 224–651 CE. Stucco. From the joint expedition with the University Museum, led by Erich Schmidt. Photo: Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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  • South Asian Art - Installation view of Temple Sculpture gallery, third floor. Above doorway: Nandi, Sacred Bull of Shiva, c. 1200 1250. Artist/maker unknown, Indian. Schist. purchased with Joseph E. Temple Fund, 1966. Left, through doorway: The Dr. Sadhan C. Dutt and Mrs. Bharati Dutt Gallery (231). Photo: Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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  • South Asian Art - The Osagie and Losenge Imasogie Gallery (325). Right foreground: Tara Goddess of Compassion 19th century. China. Gilded bronze. Gift of John T. Morris, 1911. Left background: Altar, artist/maker unknown. Late 19th-early 20th century. Photo: Philadelphia Museum of Art.
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  • South Asian Galleries. Tara, Goddess of Compassion 18th - 19th century. Made in Dolon Nor, Duolun County, Chahar Province, Inner Mongolia, China. Gilded bronze. Gift of John T. Morris, 1911.
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  • South Asian Galleries. Indra, Lord of Storms and King of the Gods' Realm, c. 1200. Artist/maker unknown, Nepalese. Mercury gilded copper alloy with spinel rubies, rock crystal, and turquoise. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Stella Kramrisch Collection, 1994.
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  • South Asian Art - Dr. Stella Kramrisch at the Museum’s ‘Himalayan Art’ exhibition, 1978, Philadelphia Museum of Art Archives
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