Five Unmissable Paintings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

From shipwrecks to wrecked relationships, discover the highlights of the Philadelphia Museum of Art collection 

The Philadelphia Museum of Art has been one of the top 100 most visited galleries in the world since 2015 and it's easy to see why since it boasts a collection that includes some of the very best work by the likes of Henri Rousseau, Edgar Degas and America's own Winslow Homer.

Prometheus Bound- Peter Paul Rubens
Peter Paul Rubens was celebrated for his ability to bring his subjects to life through a dynamic rendering of bodily gestures. This famous depiction of the grisly Greek mythological tale —the god Prometheus is chained to a rock where he’s tortured daily by an eagle who eats his perpetually regenerating liver—showcases Rubens’ mastery of muscular detail. We see Prometheus convulse and contort his body in agony, from his contracting toes to the bulging veins in the neck and arms, giving us a sense of his suffering as the eagle graphically tears the liver from his abdomen.

Prometheus Bound Peter Paul Rubens 1611-1618 (From the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art)

The Life Line- Winslow Homer
The pioneering American landscape artist Winslow Homer was well renowned for his maritime scenes. This gripping painting captures the moment in which a seemingly unconscious woman is rescued from a shipwreck and the tempestuous waters. The two subjects are caught between two large waves on either side, which not only frame the drama unfolding in the middle, but gives us a very real sense of the peril, amplified by the fact that they’re only just about hovering over the water. The painting was well received by art critics who praised Homer both his technical skill and his portrayal of the heroism of regular, contemporary Americans.

The Life Line Winslow Homer 1884 (From the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Interior- Edgar Degas
The muted colors, dim lighting and the empty space between the two subjects in the middle of the composition create an unmistakable air of tension and the sense that we’re witnessing the fallout from a major lovers’ quarrel. The man’s position near the door might offer a hint as to the nature of the argument; has he come home late from the bar yet again, or is there a suspicion that he’s come back from visiting a mistress? An open suitcase on the table next to the woman suggests she won’t be sticking around for much longer either way.

Interior Edgar Degas c.1868 (From the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Carnival Evening- Henri Rousseau
Eerie, mysterious and deeply enigmatic, many of Rousseau’s works such as this one are often talked about in relation to the 20th century Surrealists' dreamscape paintings. There’s something otherworldly about Carnival Evening ; look closely at the left of the image and you’ll find a face staring peering behind a city street-lamp, which in itself seems unsettlingly incongruous in this wooded landscape. The light that streams through the trees also seems to be coming from an unidentifiable source rather than the moon in the top right. Could it be coming fro searchlights hunting for two carnival actors on the run? Despite some of the uncanny aspects, the fact that the couple emerge from this landscape arm-in-arm gives the painting a touch of romance.

Carnival Evening Henri Rousseau 1886 (From the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Detail from Carnival Evening Henri Rousseau 1886 (From the collection of the Philadelphia Museum of Art)