The Pennsylvania Hospital, Philadelphia
1811–ca. 1813
Medium
Watercolor and pen and black ink on white laid paper
Dimensions
5 3/8 x 8 1/2 in. (13.7 x 21.6 cm)
Classification
Watercolor
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1942
Accession Number
42.95.24
Tags
Art Historical Context
Pavel Petrovich Svinin, a Russian diplomat and artist, created this delicate watercolor during his travels in the United States from 1811 to1813. The scene depicts the Pennsylvania Hospital in Philadelphia, America’s first public hospital, founded in 1751 by Benjamin Franklin and Dr. Thomas Bond. At the time, the institution stood as a symbol of Enlightenment ideals—combining medical care with charitable support for the poor and mentally ill—reflecting the young nation’s growing commitment to civic institutions. Executed in watercolor and pen and black ink on laid paper, the work showcases Sv...
About the Artist
Pavel Petrovich Svinin · 1787–1839
Pavel Petrovich Svinin (1787–1839) was a Russian diplomat, writer, and amateur artist whose visual record of early American life constitutes one of the most vivid and historically valuable documentary accounts of the United States in the early nineteenth century. Born in Russia in 1787, Svinin received a broad education and pursued a career in the Russian foreign service, which brought him to the ...