Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, established in 1805, incorporated in 1806. It is supported by private endowment. The academy grew out of a proposal by Charles Willson Peale for an art institution; this led to the founding of the Columbianum, which mounted in 1795 the first art exhibition in the United States. The academy was formed to supersede it, sponsored by 71 public-spirited Philadelphia citizens, among them Peale, Charles Biddle, William Rush, and George Clymer. The present building was constructed in 1876 to house the academy's art collection, which includes the Temple Collection of modern American paintings, the Gibson Collection of 19th-century European paintings, and the John Frederick Lewis Collection of early American paintings. The academy, affiliated with the oldest American art school, owns more than 2,000 works by American artists, one of the richest collections in the field.

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2007, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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