Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2009.42 |
Object Name |
Painting |
Title |
Fishing (Philadelphia Scene) |
Artist |
Kollner, Augustus |
Date |
1846 |
Description |
View of a river in an urban, industrial setting. In the foreground, two men fish from a pier. A horse pulling an unseen cart stands on another pier behind the first one. To the left, on the river, are a sailboat and rowboat with four passengers. Several factory buildings are depicted along the riverbank in the left background. Two buildings have smokestacks billowing smoke. A hill rises behind the buildings and a mansion is visible in the center background, also on a tree-covered hill. A bridge spans the river below it. Signed with the initial "A" in the lower right corner, and dated "1846" in the lower left corner. |
Label |
Soon after emigrating from Germany in 1839, Augustus Kollner settled in Philadelphia and began designing lithographs for local publishers. Along with Philadelphia views, Kollner produced military portraits, trade cards, maps, machinery drawings for manuals, and medicine bottle labels. Every summer, he traveled the American countryside, sketching the landscape and, according to one of his trade cards, accumulating more than 500 picturesque views from seven states, all drawn from nature. He also roamed the wharves of Philadelphia, making sketches for future prints. He may have created this watercolor of a fishing scene during one of these excursions. It appears to depict the Schuylkill River looking north towards Lemon Hill Mansion and the city reservoir on the hill to the right, where the Philadelphia Museum of Art now stands. |
Medium |
Watercolor on wove paper |
Dimensions |
H-16 W-20 inches |
Dimension Details |
Framed |
Credit line |
American Philosophical Society |
Search Terms |
19th century nineteenth century painting landscape Philadelphia |