Now open at the Allentown Art Museum in Allentown, Pennsylvania, is Pennsylvania Impressionism: Paintings from the Leidel Collection. The show, which opened in August 2023, features a dozen works from collection of Karin and Peter Leidel. 

Artists represented in the exhibition include John Fulton Folinsbee, Daniel Garber, Edward Willis Redfield, Fern Isabel Coppedge, Kenneth Nunamaker and his son Alfred Nunamaker. 

Daniel Garber (1880-1958), Lumberville Bridge, 1941. Oil on canvas. Collection of Karin and Peter Leidel.

“We are grateful to have the opportunity to show this work of Pennsylvania Impressionists at the museum,” says Claire McRee, associate curator at the museum. “It comes at an exciting time since we just reinstalled the American art galleries to tell stories about migration, cultural exchanges and other themes. This show will help tell those stories.”

Edward Willis Redfield (1869-1965), Spring House. Oil on canvas. Collection of Karin and Peter Leidel.McRee notes that the exhibition has some nationally recognized names, such as Daniel Garber, but also more regional voices like those of the Nunamakers, who are more regional. “It’s very nice to have this kind of range within a show. Garber and Redfield are highly respected and leading members of the Bucks County art colony, but then we also have these lesser-known artists who give a sense for the range of styles, backgrounds, approaches and careers of artists who came out of the region,” McRee says. “Kenneth Nunamaker, for instance, was a self-taught artist. Redfield was known for being a very independent artist who didn’t want to be a part of the larger scene, but he did mentor Nunamaker. When you look at the work you can see how these relationships developed outside the academic tradition.”

John Fulton Folinsbee (1892-1972), Lambertville Bridge, 1930. Oil on board. Collection of Karin and Peter Leidel.

Because the exhibition is now on view, McRee has been able to witness viewer response firsthand. “It’s fun to see because the gallery is next to our office. I see a lot of people looking closely at the works, and really engaging with the material,” she says. “These works have a timeless appeal that people can connect with, particularly the landscape being from this region…and some of the subjects of the paintings are still standing, so people recognize the locations.”

Edward Willis Redfield (1869-1965), Christmas Morning, ca. 1933. Oil on canvas. Collection of Karin and Peter Leidel.

Like most curators, McRee is hesitant to choose a favorite work, but admits that Garber’s Lumberville Bridge is one that she stops in front of frequently. “Garber has his own style that is quite distinctive. It’s warm and delicate, and sunny. His scenes feel very welcoming,” she says. “Of course, Redfield is also known for his energetic painting styles. He was famous for painting no matter the weather. He would stand in a snowstorm for eight hours to get the image he wanted. That was just part of his process.”

Pennsylvania Impressionism: Paintings from the Leidel Collection will remain on view through September 8.

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