The Closed Shutter

This mysterious painting, which suggests a narrative, was painted by Joseph Pearson, Jr., the son of a box manufacturer. Born in Germantown, just outside of Philadelphia, the artist studied at the Pennsylvania Academy with two of the most noted impressionists in America: William Merritt Chase and J. Alden Weir. After studying abroad in Germany, Italy and Spain, Pearson settled back in Philadelphia during the first years of the twentieth century. Pearson taught at the Academy for twenty-five years and was known for his portraits and gaming scenes. Perhaps his best known work, The Twins, Virginia and Jane, hangs at the Michener Art Museum in Doylestown.