Paris 1900: The "American School" at the Universal Exposition
PAFA, Philadelphia
February 12 - April 16, 2000
The Universal Exposition, held in Paris in 1900, was one of the grandest world's fairs in history, celebrating the onset of the twentieth century with unbridled optimism. The American art installation featured works by leading figures of the period, including Thomas Eakins, Winslow Homer, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, John Singer Sargent, Louis Comfort Tiffany, and James McNeill Whistler. Paris 1900, a major traveling exhibition, recreates the aura of this groundbreaking display, bringing together more than 80 paintings, sculptures, and decorative objects from private and public collections across the United States and Europe. A major lender to the exhibition both then and now, the Pennsylvania Academy will showcase Paris 1900 as part of its millennial celebration.
Sponsored by the State Department, the American art display at the 1900 Exposition was carefully designed to promote the image of the United States as a powerful and civilized nation. Up until this time, American art in general was not yet considered equal in quality and stature to European art. The strong representation of American work at the fair marked the initial recognition of a distinctly "American School" of art in an international arena. Paris 1900 offers the first critical examination of this pivotal moment in America's cultural history.
Works for the American installation were selected to convey specific national characteristics in a variety of artistic forms. The country's future was expressed through the portrayal of the traditional American family in such works as George de Forest Brush's Mother and Child; its virtue was revealed in the guise of American womanhood, represented by William Merritt Chase's Portrait of Mrs. C.; its character and strength of purpose were suggested by Thomas Eakins's The Cello Player; its natural beauty and resources were revealed by George Inness's Sunny Autumn Day; and its innovation was highlighted by the urban and rural technology depicted in Henry Ward Ranger's Brooklyn Bridge and Theodore Robinson's Port Ben, Delaware, and Hudson Canal.
Organized by The Montclair Art Museum, Paris 1900: The "American School" at the Universal Exposition will be on view at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts from February 12 to April 16, 2000. It will travel to the Columbus Museum of Art (May 18-August 13, 2000); the Elvehjem Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin-Madison (September 16-December 3, 2000); and end its tour, appropriately, at the Musée Carnavalet, in Paris (February 2-May 15, 2001).
PAFA - Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Broad and Cherry Streets, Philadelphia, PA 19102
