Who painted Centre Square and the Marble Water Works, Philadelphia?

Centre Square and the Marble Water Works, Philadelphia was painted by Pavel Petrovich Svinin in 1811.

Where can I see Centre Square and the Marble Water Works, Philadelphia?

Centre Square and the Marble Water Works, Philadelphia is held by Metropolitan Museum of Art.

What movement is Centre Square and the Marble Water Works, Philadelphia?

Centre Square and the Marble Water Works, Philadelphia is associated with Romanticism.

Artwork

Centre Square and the Marble Water Works, Philadelphia

Pavel Petrovich Svinin , 1811

Centre Square and the Marble Water Works, Philadelphia is a watercolor work on paper by the Romanticist artist Pavel Petrovich Svinin. It dates from 1811 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Centre Square and the Marble Water Works, Philadelphia is a watercolor work created by Pavel Petrovich Svinin around 1811. It is a representation of a significant architectural and engineering achievement in early 19th-century Philadelphia.

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts the city's new waterworks, a grand stone building with a tall fountain, showcasing a major public project aimed at providing clean drinking water. Figures in contemporary attire stroll around the scene, set against a soft blue sky.

Technique & Style

Svinin employed a range of media, including watercolor, gouache, pen and black ink, and graphite on off-white laid paper, to capture the scene. The work is characterized by attention to detail, such as the rendering of water catching the light, indicative of the landscape genre.

History & Provenance

The artwork was created by Svinin, a Russian traveler, writer, painter, and editor, during his visit to America. It is one of the earliest visual records of Philadelphia's waterworks, reflecting the significance of this infrastructure project.

Artist & collection

Artist

Pavel Petrovich Svinin

Pavel Petrovich Svinyin or Svinin (Russian: Па́вел Петро́вич Свиньи́н; 19 June 1787 – 21 April 1839) was a Russian writer, painter, and editor, known as a "Russian Munchausen" for many exaggerated accounts of his travels.

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art

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