Artist:
Horace Pippin
(American, 1888 - 1946)
Birmingham Meeting House in Summertime
Alternate Title(s):Birmingham Meeting House III
Medium: Oil on fabric board
Date: 1941
Dimensions:
16 × 20 in. (40.6 × 50.8 cm)
Accession number: 2011.19
Label Copy:
Located a few miles north of Chadds Ford, the building shown here is an eighteenth-century Quaker Meeting House that also served as a shelter and temporary hospital for both George Washington’s and British forces during the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. Horace Pippin had been asked to submit a painting of the building as part of a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Quakers’ first meeting for worship in Birmingham Township. In response, Pippin created four versions of the subject, one for the celebration and three that were sold to local patrons of the artist. The Meeting House’s storied past and its connection to the Quakers—who were advocates for peace—likely resonated deeply with the war veteran whose paintings often reflected his interest in American history and the harrowing reality of war.
Pippin’s career was in full flight when he painted this work. His careful attention to the textures of quarried stone, tree bark and leaves—even as he simplified their forms—is characteristic of his self-taught style.
Located a few miles north of Chadds Ford, the building shown here is an eighteenth-century Quaker Meeting House that also served as a shelter and temporary hospital for both George Washington’s and British forces during the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. Horace Pippin had been asked to submit a painting of the building as part of a celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Quakers’ first meeting for worship in Birmingham Township. In response, Pippin created four versions of the subject, one for the celebration and three that were sold to local patrons of the artist. The Meeting House’s storied past and its connection to the Quakers—who were advocates for peace—likely resonated deeply with the war veteran whose paintings often reflected his interest in American history and the harrowing reality of war.
Pippin’s career was in full flight when he painted this work. His careful attention to the textures of quarried stone, tree bark and leaves—even as he simplified their forms—is characteristic of his self-taught style.
Curatorial RemarksHorace Pippin’s Birmingham Meeting House in Summertime (previously known as Birmingham Meeting House III, it was actually the fourth and last in the series), depicts an 18th century Quaker building that served as a shelter and temporary hospital for both George Washington’s and the British General Howe’s forces during the Battle of the Brandywine in 1777. It is one of four paintings of the historic building that the artist created between 1940 and 1942. Each version renders the building from a slightly different angle and a different season. Pippin’s emphasis on the main components of the meeting house structure and the forms of the trees creates a balanced, strong graphic image. The attention to texture of quarried stone, tree bark and dark leaves enriches the image and contributes to the painting’s cohesive design. Pippin’s limited palette and saturated tones brings a mood of dignity and solemnity to the historic setting. Horace Pippin is one of America’s most important twentieth-century untutored artists. Although severely injured in his right arm by an injury suffered in World War I, he taught himself to paint in the late 1920s. His work demonstrates his enormous talent for rendering bold and engaging compositions and keen observations of his community and personal experience. Pippin’s work drew the attention of the art historian Christian Britain and artist N.C. Wyeth when two of Pippin's works were included in the 1937 exhibition at the Chester County Art Association. In 1938 his paintings were exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art and his work was purchased by many collectors, including Albert Barnes, founder of The Barnes Foundation.
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Horace Pippin’s subject matter ranged from contemporary portraits to scenes of African American history to biblical interpretations. Residing most of his life in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Pippin was well aware of the artistic heritage of the region. Rather than working in the traditional vein of Brandywine artists, he struck out with his own personal style.
Pippin painted four versions of the Birmingham Meetinghouse, an eighteenth-century Quaker meetinghouse that still stands a few miles north of Chadds Ford. The meetinghouse served as a shelter and temporary hospital for both George Washington’s and British General Howe’s forces during the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. Pippin’s careful attention to the textures of quarried stone, tree bark and leaves—even as he simplified their forms—is characteristic of his self-taught style.
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Horace Pippin’s subject matter ranged from contemporary portraits to scenes of African American history to biblical interpretations. Residing most of his life in West Chester, Pennsylvania, Pippin was well aware of the artistic heritage of the region. Rather than working in the traditional vein of Brandywine artists, he struck out with his own personal style.
Pippin painted four versions of the Birmingham Meetinghouse, an eighteenth-century Quaker meetinghouse that still stands a few miles north of Chadds Ford. The meetinghouse served as a shelter and temporary hospital for both George Washington’s and British General Howe’s forces during the Battle of Brandywine in 1777. Pippin’s careful attention to the textures of quarried stone, tree bark and leaves—even as he simplified their forms—is characteristic of his self-taught style.