Artists of the Commonwealth:
Realism in Pennsylvania Painting 1950-2000

June 23 - September 16, 2001

Alice Neel, Sarah Greenberg, 1967

Artists of the Commonwealth: Realism in Pennsylvania Painting 1950-2000 was an extensive and monumental exhibition that traced the history of realist painting in Pennsylvania during the latter half of the 21st century. Organized by the Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art in Loretto, in collaboration with the Erie Art Museum, and the James A Michener Art Museum, the exhibition featured 23 paintings from nationally and internationally recognized artists including Andrew Wyeth, Bo Bartlett, Philip Pearlstein, and Andy Warhol. Artists were selected for their influence and contributions to national movements in Modern Art and the direction of art in Pennsylvania since 1950.

Realism, in which subjects are portrayed in a straightforward manner rather than idealizing them, was the prevailing style of the late 19th Century. Realism experienced a renaissance in the latter part of the 20th Century with the introduction of Pop Art. Numerous Pennsylvania artists are credited with influencing this modern style including Thomas Eakins, Mary Cassatt, Benjamin Peale, and Andrew Wyeth. The Commonwealth holds a prominent place in the development of Realism in American painting.

Included in the exhibition are:
• Andrew Wyeth, “May Day,” 1960, Watercolor – Private Collection
• Diane Burko, “Wissahickon Reflections,” 1998, Oil on canvas – Courtesy of Locks Gallery, Philadelphia
• Rob Evans, “Cicada,” 1998-2000, Acrylic and oil on panel – Courtesy of the artist
• Peter Paone, “Judgment of Paris,” 1998, Acrylic on panel – Courtesy of the artist
• Bo Bartlett, “Dreamland,” 1997-98, Oil on linen – Collection of Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Evans Tucker
• Nelson Shanks, “Portrait of Notebaert,” 1997, Oil on canvas – Collection of The Children’s Hospital of Phildelphia
• Sidney Goodman, “Elephant,” 1994-95, Oil on canvas – Courtesy of The More Gallery, Philadelphia
• Martha Mayer Erlebacher, “The Bow,” 2000, Oil on canvas – Courtesy of The More Gallery, Philadelphia
• Sarah McEneaney, “Home,” 1993-96, Egg tempera on wood – Courtesy of The More Gallery, Philadelphia
• Ben Kamihira, “Asian American Dreaming,” 1985, Oil on linen – Courtesy of The More Gallery, Philadelphia
• James B. Wyeth, “Portrait of Orca Bates,” 1989, Oil on panel – Collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum, Gift of Mrs. John S. Ames, by Exchange, 1994
• Henry Koerner, “Oh, Fearful Wonder of Man,” 1961, Oil on canvas – Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh; The Henry Hillman Fund, 1981.
• John Moore, “Erie Evening,” 1996, Oil on canvas – Private Collection
• Barkley Hendricks, “Blood,” c. 1976, Acrylic, oil and magna on canvas – Courtesy of ACA Galleries, New York
• Richard Mayhew, “Revelation,” 2000, Oil on canvas – Courtesy of ACA Galleries, New York
• Alice Neel, “Sarah Greenberg,” 1967, Oil on canvas – The Estate of Alice Neel, Courtesy of Robert Miller Gallery, New York
• Philip Pearlstein, “Two Nudes with Animal Marionettes,” 1988, Oil on canvas – Courtesy of Robert Miller Gallery, New York
• Neil Welliver, “5:00 p.m.,” 1989, Oil on canvas – Courtesy of Tibor de Nagy Gallery, New York
• Ben Kamihira, “The Glove,” 1972-73, Oil on canvas – Palmer Museum of Art, The Pennsylvania State University
• Ray DeFazio, “Nightfall, Allegheny Observatory, Pittsburgh,” 1978-79, Oil on canvas – Collection of Westmoreland Museum of American Art
• Patricia Bellan-Gillen, “Pivot/Positive-Negative,” 1997, Oil, wood, and gold leaf on canvas – Courtesy of the artist
• Andy Warhol, “Aretha Franklin,” c. 1986, Synthetic polymer paint and silkscreen ink on canvas – The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, Founding Collection, Contribution of the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc.
• Benedict Gibson, “The Hunter,” 1994, Oil on canvas – Courtesy of the artist

The paintings were on loan from a variety of museums, galleries, private collectors, and artists which include Wyeth Center at the Farnsworth Art Museum, Westmoreland Museum of Art, Locks Gallery, The More Gallery, ACA Galleries, Palmer Museum of Art, The Robert Miller Gallery, Tibor de Nagy Gallery, The Estate of Alice Neel, Peter Poane, Patricia Bellan-Gillen, Benedict Gibson, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Carnegie Museum of Art, Chadds Ford, Rob Evans, at the Andy Warhol Museum. Funded in part by the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.