After two years of virtual events, The Philadelphia Show is back in-person and thrilled to celebrate its 60th anniversary. The Philadelphia Museum of Art will be hosting the show on museum grounds for the first time since its inauguration, marking a “significant step in the fair’s evolution and growth,” says the show press release. This year will feature 40 prominent exhibitors throughout the U.S., specializing in fine art, antiques and decorative arts, with works spanning from the 16th through the 21st centuries.  The Philadelphia Show will be held on the East Terrace of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

“We are all delighted this mainstay of Philadelphia art and culture is still here!” says Lynn Gadsden, chairman of The Philadelphia Show. “For the first time ever, the show will be held on the East Terrace of the Philadelphia Museum of Art overlooking the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and the city of Philadelphia. For 55 years, the show benefitted the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, and for the last five years, the show has been run by volunteers and staff of the new beneficiary, the Philadelphia Museum of Art.”Arshile Gorky (1904-1948), Untitled, ca. 1946. Pencil, pastel and wash on paper, 18¾ x 24 in. Courtesy Betty Krulik Fine Art.  

In honor of the show’s 60th anniversary, there will be a nostalgic and entertaining featured exhibition, titled Zero to Sixty. “We are taking examples from 60 years of loan shows that focused on a particular subject,” Gadsden says. “Using the title as inspiration, we will borrow from dealers and collectors’ examples illustrating that particular year’s theme. For example, from the 2009 show, Philadelphia Portrait Miniatures, we are presenting an 1807 Portrait of a Gentleman by Philadelphia/New York artist John Wesley Jarvis, lent by Richard and Ginger Dietrich.”Andrew Wyeth (1917-2009), Spring at Kuerners, 1998. Watercolor on paper, 13¼ x 18¾ in. Courtesy Sommerville Manning Gallery. 

Wilson Irvine (1869-1936), Connecticut River View. Oil on canvas, 30 x 36 in. Courtesy The Cooley Gallery.  

Gadsden also notes that they primarily feature American antiques, fine art and design dealers. “At least eight dealers have been with us for around 40 years,” she says. “Our mission every year is to provide the very best that is for sale in those areas and the very best dealers continue their reputation year after year.” These regular participants, with some exhibiting from as early as 1969 include The Cooley Gallery, Jeffrey Tillou Antiques, Ralph M. Chait Galleries and S. J. Shrubsole. Arthur B. Carles (1882-1952), Flowers in a Yellow Vase, 1922. Oil on canvas, 35½ x 31½ in. Courtesy Avery Galleries.

“We are very much looking forward to the return of The Philadelphia Show this spring, and we are delighted with the new location of the Philadelphia Museum of Art,” say Steven J. Chait and Andrew H. Chait, President and Vice President of Ralph M. Chait Galleries. “We have been exhibitors at the show for 20 years and cherish the wonderful relationships we have forged in this time with clients, fellow dealers, show committee members and the always very interested public who attend. The Philadelphia Show is one of the most important antique fairs in the country. It is a classic in its own right. We commend the show on its 60 years and look forward to remaining a part of it for many years to come!” Attributed to David Bustill Bowser (1890-1900), Fire Hat of the Pennsylvania Fire Co., mid-19th century, 7 in. Courtesy Robert and Kathy Booth for the featured exhibition Zero to Sixty.

John Wesley Jarvis (1780-1840), Portrait of a Gentleman, 1807. 31⁄8 x 2½ in. Courtesy Richard and Ginger Dietrich for the featured exhibition Zero to Sixty.

Other significant exhibitors include Avery Galleries with pieces like, Flowers in a Yellow Vase by Arthur B. Carles (1882-1952), while Betty Krulik Fine Art will have works on paper such as Arshile Gorky’s (1904-1948) Untitled abstract piece. The Cooley Gallery will feature work including Wilson Irvine’s (1869-1936) piece Connecticut River View, illustrating the artist’s commitment to depicting landscapes from the Connecticut region, and Dixon-Hall Fine Art will have the abstract, colorful painting Italian Fruit Dish II by Hugh Henry Breckenridge (1870-1937). The artist spent many years in Philadelphia and held a teaching job at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. Paul Howard Manship (1885-1966), The Moods of Time, 1939. Bronze, signed. Courtesy Clarke Gallery.

Also keep an eye out for the thrilling piece Spring at Keurners by the renowned Andrew Wyeth (1917-1998). Sommerville Manning Gallery, which will be exhibiting the piece, says, “The present work depicts a section of the Pennsylvania farm owned by Karl and Anna Kuerner, Wyeth’s longtime Chadds Ford neighbors. Karl and Anna—as well as the buildings and landscape of their farm—served as an enduring source of inspiration for the artist and provided the subject matter for some of his most recognizable works. Here, Wyeth depicts the familiar contours of Kuerners Hill covered in bright springtime grass, with a corner of the Kuerners’ house visible at right.”Hugh Henry Breckenridge (1870-1937), Italian Fruit Dish II, ca. 1931. Oil on board, 101⁄8 x 10¾ in. Courtesy Dixon-Hall Fine Art.

Those wishing to get a sneak peek of these quality show pieces can attend the Preview Party and cocktail reception on April 28, the night before the show opening. The party will open at 5 p.m. for VIP members, and runs until 9 p.m.  —

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