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After Peale: Family Portrait '03, #1

2003
Rob Matthews (American, born 1974)
This drawing, by a young artist now working in Philadelphia, pays tribute to the Museum's famous "deception," the Staircase Group by Charles Willson Peale (Philadelphia Museum of Art, E1945-1-1). While Matthews exactly emulates the painting's composition and format, he has substituted elements that have personal associations for him: the figures of Peale's two sons are replaced by Matthews and his wife; contemporary drawing tools appear in place of Peale's maulstick and palette; and the admission ticket to Peale's museum on the bottom step of the painting has been turned into a CD album cover for Liz Phair's Exile in Guyville.

Object Details

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