Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
- Architect
- Frank Furness
- Year
- 1805
- Style
- Renaissance Revival
- City
- Philadelphia, PA
- Collection
- furness's gilded city
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, founded in 1805 by painter Charles Willson Peale, sculptor William Rush, and other Philadelphia artists and business leaders, is the oldest continuously operating art museum and art school in the United States. Its landmark building was designed by Frank Furness in a Renaissance Revival and Second Empire idiom, and the academy has been designated a National Historic Landmark.
the building
A founders' museum from 1805. The academy's first building, at Chestnut and 10th Streets, was designed by John Dorsey and opened in 1806. It began operating as a museum in 1807, and its first exhibition in 1811 displayed more than 500 paintings and sculptures.
Furness's ornate facade. Furness designed the academy's building in a mix of Renaissance Revival and Second Empire elements, producing a highly ornate, widely celebrated facade characteristic of his eclectic, inventive approach to ornament and structure.
the style
The academy's building blends Renaissance Revival and Second Empire elements, part of Furness's signature eclectic approach to ornament and structural expression, and its facade is often cited as one of the era's most highly ornate.
More on Renaissance Revivalthe architect
Frank Furness was a highly significant and idiosyncratic American architect known for eclectic ornament and innovative structure; the Pennsylvania Academy's building is among his major works.
significance
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; founded in 1805, it remains the longest continuously operating art museum and art school in the United States.
nearby
- Masonic Temple
- Packard Motor Corporation Building
- Suburban Station
- Philadelphia City Hall
- Wanamaker’s
- Reading Terminal