Watercolors at the Free Library of Philadelphia

Join us for a visit to view historical and more recent watercolors and related artifacts from the Print and Picture Collection at the Free Library of Philadelphia.

A small sample of watercolors from the Print and Picture Collection

About the Collection

Over the years, the Print and Picture Collection has received donations from artists, their heirs and art collectors. Among these are numerous watercolors. They have a variety of pieces, including finished artwork, preliminary studies, illustrations for publications, and even architectural renderings. Most of the pieces date from the 19th and 20th centuries but a few are more recent. Below are some of the holdings:

• Numerous 19th century landscapes of the Philadelphia region by Agustus Kollner, Frank Taylor and others.
• Some works by Violet Oakley (one of the Red Rose Girls).
• A sketch by Winslow Homer.
• Watercolors and sketches by Beatrix Potter. (As well as a children's book author, Potter was a notable natural history illustrator.)
• The Rosenthal Collection, which contains numerous drawings and watercolors of American artists from the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• Some works donated by recent Philadelphia artists.

Getting Here

The Collection is located on the second floor of the Parkway Central Library, which is located on Vine Street near Logan Square, the Barnes Foundation and the Franklin Institute. If you're coming by car, there is a parking lot behind the library and a parking garage on Callowhill Street as well as on-street parking

To get to the Collections, take grand staircase up to the second floor and turn right, follow the hall until the end and turn right again. You can also take the elevator, which is located to the right of the grand staircase.

Tour the Rare Book Collection

If you join us, consider taking a free guided tour of the Free Library's Rare Book Collection. The tour starts at 11 am. The collection is located on the third floor and can be reached via stairs or the elevator.