Philadelphia Museum of Art

12/02/2023

Discover the magic behind the scenes as we delve into DNA Floral's inspiration for the holiday decor.

DNA Floral intentionally reimagined holiday decor at the PMA with inclusivity in mind. Three distinct rooms cater to diverse experiences: a vibrant north entrance for families, a garden-inspired west entrance for conversations, and a moody Great Stair Hall for a sophisticated, organic vibe with lots of preserved moss and a mix media of dried and silk blooms. Each space embraces change and inclusivity, fostering a welcoming environment for all.

Drop in to see the stunning holiday florals and be sure to tag in your pictures to be featured 💐

mage credit Ritchie King Jr

12/01/2023

On World AIDs Day, its important to shout out from the rooftops that LGBTQAI+ communities are here to stay.

Luckily, the artist Inhwan Oh is helping to ensure they never disappear.

For his site-specific installation titled “Where He Meets Him in Philadelphia,” Oh uses incense powder—commonly burned in religious or meditational practices—to form the names of current and former Philadelphia q***r bars and clubs.

How many establishments can you remember or identify?

Join him in helping to sustain LGBTQAI+ communities. Let's make sure they’re never blown away from our memories.

"Where He Meets Him in Philadelphia," 2023, Inhwan Oh
Photo credit Tim Tiebout

11/30/2023

When the meeting could've been an email..

🔎 Pay a visit to our clever friend in European Art, Gallery 380.

"Portrait of William Rastall," 1763, Joseph Wright, also called Joseph Wright of Derby

11/29/2023

We mourn the recent loss of photographer Larry Fink. The PMA was honored to host the exhibition "Larry Fink: The Boxing Photographs" in the Summer of 2018. These photographs are from that exhibition.

Widely recognized as one of this country’s greatest photographers, Fink captures the subculture of boxing through its champions and challengers, its ambition-fueled gyms and rowdy rings and overheated atmospheres of locker rooms, as well as the many fascinating people who populate this world. Firing at maximum shutter speed, Fink learned how to move quickly and easily around the boxers, capturing fleeting moments of the agony, glory, shock, and satisfaction involved in amateur and professional bouts. He would continue to document boxers, gyms, and matches around the country.

Our thoughts are with Larry Fink's friends and family during this time.

Image 1: "Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 1992," 1992, Larry Fink
Image 2: "Champs Gym, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 1993," 1993, Larry Fink
Image 3: "Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 1992," 1992, Larry Fink
Image 4: "Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October, 1994," 1994, Larry Fink
Image 5: "Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, January 1991," 1991, Larry Fink
Image 6: "Blue Horizon, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, July 1991," 1991, Larry Fink

11/28/2023

Some necklaces have the power to become armor, and vice versa.

Sang-hee Yun’s “An Attack by Green Horns” fits the bill. Her practice of creating jewelry is partially inspired by times in her childhood, when she hoped to have some sort of charm to guard her and her family.

Yun’s work “The Bad Dream of Marriage” is also inspired by the artist’s lived experiences.

Come view how strength becomes embedded in sculpture through The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989.



Image 1: "The Base Dream of Marriage," 2016-2017, Sang-hee Yun
Images 3-4: "An Attack by Green Horns," 2009, Sang-hee Yun

11/25/2023

This idyllic landscape of poppies being picked in a field is not as it seems.

The signature at the bottom right of this painting is fake, likely added by a seller hoping to trick buyers hungry for a rare landscape by Mary Cassatt. The true artist’s identity remained a mystery until 2006, when museum curators learned of a watercolor by Victor Gilbert with an almost identical composition. Gilbert regularly painted idyllic pastoral landscapes of this type and it is unlikely that he made this work as a forgery.

🔎 See this and similar works in the exhibition Mysteries, Copies and Forgeries in Gallery 373.

"Poppies in a Field," 1880, Attributed to Victor Gabriel Gilbert (French, 1847–1935) Formerly attributed to Mary Stevenson Cassatt (American, 1844–1926)

11/24/2023

Joyeux anniversaire, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Born on this day in 1864, Lautrec frequently went to Parisian cabarets, where he was inspired to create paintings and lithographs of the singers, dancers, and crowds around him. His work often deals with the provocative nature of cabaret dancing as well as the joie de vivire of nineteenth-century Paris.

🔎 See "At the Moulin Rouge: The Dance" in Gallery 261, European Art 1850-1900

"At the Moulin Rouge: The Dance," 1890, by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec

11/23/2023

Happy Thanksgiving 🦃 🍂

The museum is closed today but will be open for the rest of the weekend.

"Dinner Platter," 1882, Designed by Theodore Russell Davis (American, 1840–1894) Made by Haviland & Co., Limoges, France (1842–present)

11/22/2023

This weekend, walk off your Thanksgiving feast with a stroll through our galleries. With new exhibitions, shopping, and activities, the museum has all you need for a classic staycation.

The museum is closed Thursday, Nov 23 but will be open for the rest of the weekend. Bring your family to enjoy a Family Tour at 11:00 a.m. or 1:30 p.m. Then spend quality, creative time together in the Art Kids Studio. Fri/Sat/Sun, 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.

Buy Tickets: https://bit.ly/3SP30kZ


Image credit: Elizabeth Leitzell

11/22/2023

The Wolgok-don neighborhood of northern Seoul was in its twilight years.

To develop a visual elegy for the neighborhood, Ahn Sekwon used old military cameras with long exposures, which capture the cityscape prior to its redevelopment into modern apartment towers in the 2000’s.

Ahn’s imagery is distinctly universal in its appeal, as it echoes the changing identities of residential neighborhoods across the globe.

Image 1: “Lights of Wolgok-dong I,” 2005, Ahn Sekwon (Collection of the artist)
Image 3: “Disappearing Lights of Wolgok-dong I,” 2006, Ahn Sekwon (Collection of the artist)
Image 4: “Disappearing Lights of Weolgok-dong II,” 2007, Ahn Sekwon (Collection of the artist)

11/21/2023

Mark your calendars - Museum Store Sunday is back for 2023! 

Enjoy 20% off in store and online - one day only Sunday 11/26. Members save 25%. Some exclusions apply.


11/20/2023

Who's ready for some Monday Night Football: Sibling Rivalry edition?

11/20/2023

New on View: Stephen Burks: Shelter in Place

Stephen Burks and his studio Stephen Burks Man Made have collaborated with artisans and craftspeople all over the globe, from Senegal and South Africa to Peru and the Philippines, to develop collections that creatively synthesize handcraft traditions with industrial production. Guiding Burks’s approach is his underlying belief that design should be inclusive of all cultural perspectives and backgrounds.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3ulGdTA

Image credit: Stephen Burks with The Ancestors (Shelter in Place project), 2021, acrylic, epoxy resin, enamel, polystyrene foam, and clay-coated paper, designed by Stephen Burks (American, born 1969), manufactured by Stephen Burks Man Made, New York, established 1997, collection of the designer. Photo by Caroline Tompkins.

11/18/2023

Are you more of a pickle dish or a pickle stand type of person? We're partial to straight out of the jar but sometime you need to make it nice.

Pickle dishes held the pickled fruits and nuts served during the dessert course in colonial Philadelphia households. Unlike their more complex relative, the pickle stand, single pickle dishes could be easily moved about the table.

This pickle stand was made of more than seventy-two elements. Each element was individually formed from a refined clay called porcelain, and then decorated, covered with a clear glaze, and fired at a high temperature. This is one of only seven from the factory known to survive.

🔎 See these beauties in American Art Gallery 102.



Image 1: "Pickle Dish," 1770-1772, American China Manufactory (Bonnin and Morris), Philadelphia (1770–1772)
Image 2: "Pickle Stand," 1770-1772, American China Manufactory (Bonnin and Morris), Philadelphia (1770–1772)

11/17/2023

✨ Smooth like butter ✨

Butter Prints and molds have been around for hundreds of years but became very popular in the 19th century. These prints were used to decorate homemade butter by imprinting the carved design - bringing a bit of flair to breakfast tables everywhere.



1. "Butter Print," 1840-1870, American
2. "Butter Print (Double Tulip)," 1820-1840, American
3. "Butter Print," 1800-1840, American, Pennsylvania German
4. "Butter Print," 1870, American, Pennsylvania German

11/17/2023

Throw aside your seasonal blues! Our holiday décor is bringing pops of color to our halls and galleries.

And without a doubt, we have DNA Floral to thank for the privilege.

We’ve partnered with Philadelphia-based DNA Floral to bring our holiday decor to life with bright colors and opulent florals. Celebrating and empowering local artists, communities, and culture is at the heart of their design practice.

Buy tickets: https://bit.ly/49IvhzC



Image credit: Albert Yee

11/16/2023

If you sometimes feel anxious, you’re not alone.

Few artists capture how universal anxiety has become like Heinkuhn OH. He’s stated, “I’ve always believed that the human face is full of complex stories. Portraits are like nautical charts: little islands of anxiety dot the vast landscape of the subject’s face.”

His work in The Shape of Time shows how anxiety and vulnerability can be used to create connections. Between OH and his models. And between you and the portraits themselves.



Image 1 credit Tim Tiebout
Image 3: "Jiwoong, August 26. 2013" Heinkuhn OH
Image 4: "Eugene, age 15, February 25. 2008" Heinkuhn OH

11/15/2023

"I've been absolutely terrified every moment of my life—and I've never let it keep me from doing a single thing I wanted to do." – Georgia O'Keeffe, born on this day in 1887.

🔎 Witness the brilliance of O'Keeffe's creations in American Art Gallery 218.

"Birch and Pine Tree No. 1," 1925, Georgia O'Keeffe

11/14/2023

Sacred imagery works its way into Michael Joo’s sensibility.

Joo’s artistry utilizes a wide range of mediums to explore multidimensionality in contemporary life.

Our exhibition features “Headless (mfg portrait)” a gaggle of headless, nerf-form Buddhas, each topped with an American toy head. In all, it’s a take on the global nature of manufacturing, with the design, development, and marketing of the heads all happening at difference places around the globe. With “Headless (mfg portrait),” divine and human power are both transitory.

“Headless (mfg portrait),” 2000, by Michael Joo (Denver Art Museum: Gift from Vicki and Kent Logan to the Collection of the Denver Art Museum, 2001.758.1–64)

Image 1 credit: Albert Yee, Image 2 credit: Tim Tiebout

11/14/2023

“Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love.”

Born on this day in 1840, Claude Monet is often called the Father of Impressionism—he inspired the term that defined this movement.

🔎 Fall in love with Monet's paintings in our European art galleries on the 2nd floor.

"Japanese Footbridge and the Water Lily Pool, Giverny," 1899, Claude Monet

11/13/2023

Arcadia Library Lecture: Generative AI and Black Creativity

Dr. Nettrice R. Gaskins presents this year’s Arcadia Library Lecture on generative AI & Black creativity. Generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) is capable of generating text, images, or other media, using models that predict outcomes. In this talk, Dr. Gaskins will explore the emergence of GenAI in the arts, how it can be used as part of an artist's creative practice, as well as how it can be used to address historical blind spots in digital art based on race and gender. Dr. Gaskins will also touch on issues of copyright and IP in GenAI art.

Register for the talk on November 29, 12-1 pm here: https://bit.ly/40zAFke

Installation view of Martine Syms: Neural Swamp / The Future Fields Commission, 2022, by Martine Syms (American, born 1988). Photo by Joseph Hu.

11/12/2023

Happy Diwali to all who celebrate!

This watercolor depicts celebrations during the important Hindu festival, which takes place annually in the fall. Typically characterized as the festival of lights, Diwali signifies the triumph of good over evil. On this day, people worship Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, brighten their homes with lamps, and light fireworks with family and friends.

"Diwali Night," 1985-1986, by Jivya Soma Mashe

11/12/2023

Happy birthday to Auguste Rodin, who was born on this day in 1840. A talented sculptor and portraitist, he is widely regarded as the father of modern sculpture. Philadelphia is home to the only dedicated museum to Rodin outside of France.

🔎 See the exhibition "Rodin Hands" at the Rodin Museum. This exhibition highlights fifteen bronzes and plasters, many of them rare or unique to the Philadelphia collection. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3uanD0z

"Two Hands, "Modeled 1904; cast 1925, Auguste Rodin. Cast by the founder Alexis Rudier, Paris.

11/11/2023

In honor of we’re highlighting artist, veteran, and West Chester native Horace Pippin. Injured during World War I, Pippin turned to painting to help mend his body and spirit. Pippin served in the 369th Infantry Regiment, a division of African American soldiers. Stationed on the front line, his battalion was one of four African American regiments to see combat.

Veterans Day is Free Admission for all Active-duty and retired military personnel and their families at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin Museum.

"The Park Bench," 1946, by Horace Pippin

11/10/2023

Join us for a virtual Museum Mindfulness at Home next Wednesday, Nov 15, 7:00–8:00 p.m.

Find your inner calm with a slow, guided look at works in our collection. Museum educators Leigh Dale and Linnea West lead you through mindfulness and close looking exercises related to themes of nature and transition in this virtual Museum Mindfulness.

Register here: https://bit.ly/3MEVqoZ

11/10/2023

The original candid group shot 📸

A conversation piece is a group portrait showcasing family members or friends engaged in conversation or social activities. They became popular in 18th-century England, largely due to the influence of William Hogarth, an English painter who was born on this day in 1697.

🔎 See this work in Gallery 379, European Art 1500-1850.

"Conversation Piece (Portrait of Sir Andrew Fountaine with Other Men and Women), detail," 1730-1735, William Hogarth

11/09/2023

What’s the line between something being an artifact or artifice?

Yoo Eui-jeong leaves this question to be answered by creating ceramic sculptures inspired by iconography from Western corporations and commercial images. The jury is still out on whether the ideas (and ideals) they symbolize will stand the test of time.

The artist lives and works in Seoul and has built his practice on a deep respect for the heritage of Korean ceramics as he evolves and innovates the artform.

Yoo Eui-jeong's artistry is on view in “The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989” now through Feb 11.

Image Caption: “Treasures of Daily Life,” 2008–21, by Yoo Eui-jeong (Collection of the artist)

11/08/2023

Now on View: Van Gogh's Drawing for 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘗𝘰𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘰 𝘌𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 in Context 🥔

As a young artist living in a small town in the Dutch countryside, Vincent van Gogh devoted himself to depicting his surroundings. This absorption became The Potato Eaters, a painting of a family of farmers seated around a table sharing a meal. This was his most ambitious painting to date, and a demonstration of his commitment to depicting country life without sentimentality.

This installation brings together a seldom-seen sketch of The Potato Eaters with other scenes of rural life and labor by Van Gogh’s heroes and contemporaries. In a period when forces such as industrial development and urban migration were reshaping the rhythms of the European countryside, a range of artists committed themselves to capturing time-honored ways of life.

🔎 See the exhibition in Gallery 256.

"Sketch of The Potato Eaters (detail)", 1885, by Vincent Van Gogh. Private Collection.

11/07/2023

In addition to his work in sculpture and drawing, Do Ho Suh produces fabric replicas of the physical spaces he’s occupied. In this way, his concept of home is portable and transportable.

For The Shape of Time exhibition, Suh installed “Seoul Home,” a 1:1 scale recreation of the traditional Korean house that was his childhood home, in our Williams Forum.

Come view Suh's installation at “The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989” on view now through Feb 11.

“Seoul Home / Seoul Home / Kanazawa Home / Beijing Home / Pohang Home / Gwangju Home / Philadelphia Home,” 2012, by Do Ho Suh (Private collection)

11/06/2023

Membership Appreciation Days are upon us!
To all our members, we want to show our gratitude with a full week of special offers. Starting on Nov 9, all members will receive 7 days of discounts on dining and shopping, right before the gift-giving rush of the holiday season.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫?
It comes with yearlong benefits, including exclusive events, like our November 10th virtual presentation on our current exhibition, The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989.

Memberships start at less than $7 a month. Learn more: https://bit.ly/3u7MzpG

“Still Life with Terms and a Bust of Ceres," 1630, Frans Snyders

11/04/2023

Join us Saturday, Nov 18 as we honor Stephen Burks with Collab's 2023 Design Excellence Award.

Spend the evening meeting with Burks and experiencing his new exhibition Stephen Burks: Shelter in Place before it opens to the public. The night will be filled with great conversations and chances to connect with esteemed guests and industry professionals.

Buy Tickets:https://bit.ly/3MpYQvK

A discount is available for members.


Image credit: Stephen Burks with Woven TV (Shelter in Place project), 2022, enamel, epoxy resin, LED, and polylactide (PLA), designed by Stephen Burks (American, born 1969), manufactured by Stephen Burks Man Made, New York, established 1997, collection of the designer. Photo by Caroline Tompkins.

11/03/2023

This Sunday, play with process and transform everyday objects into art-making tools in our ""Unusual Materials"" Family Festival!

Explore how artists use all kinds of materials from dried bugs to Star Wars toys in their artworks. Gather inspiration from Meekyoung Shin and experiment with printmaking using bars of soap in the Art Kids Studio.

Admission is Pay What You Wish.

Learn more: https://bit.ly/3QIUu5z

Join us to explore artmaking with surprising materials.

11/02/2023

A free virtual tour is available for The Shape of Time: Korean Art after 1989.

The Shape of Time takes on a whole new meaning when using .art as your virtual companion. Experience the exhibition while using the app’s tour to hear from curators, community members, and the artists themselves about the stories behind their work.

Experience the free virtual tour: https://bit.ly/460f1XD

Artist Inhwan Oh Installing 'Where He Meets Him.' Image credit Tim Tiebout

11/01/2023

As Native American History Month begins today, we highlight the works of Juan Pino. Pino was a native of Tesuque Pueblo and was a self taught artist.

Image 1: "Oxen," 1920s, Juan Pino (Native American (Tesuque Pueblo)
Image 2: "Going to Work," 1920s, Juan Pino (Native American (Tesuque Pueblo)
Image 3: "Deer in the Woods," 1920s, Juan Pino (Native American (Tesuque Pueblo)

10/31/2023

Today in 1632 Johannes Vermeer came into the world, so without a doubt, a birthday shout-out is due! But when it comes to Vermeer’s legacy, things get more complicated…

On view now at the PMA is the painting “Lady with a Guitar.” Catalogued for almost a century as a replica or close duplicate of a confirmed Vermeer painting, new research is suggesting that the artist may have had a hand in the painting, after all. PMA curators, conservators, and Vermeer experts are on the case to determine the truth behind the mystery.

To be a part of the conversation, come inspect “Lady with a Guitar” in gallery 364 through January 1, 2024.

"The Guitar Player (Lady with a Guitar)," c.1670-1720, Possibly by Johannes Vermeer (Dutch (active Delft), 1632–1675)

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween from our collection of ghoulish delights 🕷️ 🕸️ 🎃

10/31/2023

Happy Halloween from our collection of ghoulish delights 🕷️ 🕸️ 🎃

10/29/2023

Let's paws and appreciate the enchanting mystique of black cats this National Cat Day.

"Siamese Cat", Paris, 1928, André Kertész

10/27/2023

Today we honor American installation artist, Robert Irwin, who passed away on October 25 at the age of 95. Using light as his medium, Irwin was a pivotal participant of Light and Space, a 1960s art movement begun in Southern California that focused on multi-sensory, site-specific installation art and architectural interventions. Early in his career, Irwin experimented with painting thousands of miniscule dots in grid formations which could be observed only when viewed up close. These works, such as “Untitled,” produced phenomenological effects that emphasized the perception and experience of the viewer, an approach he ultimately extended to aluminum and plastic.

“Untitled” From the “Venice” series, c. 1963-1965, Robert Irwin. Centennial gift of the Woodward Foundation, 1975-81-5.

10/27/2023

Dancing into the Halloweekend like...

"Three Dancing Skeletons," Early to mid- 19th century, James Akin