In the News

Artsy | Thomas Eakins’s “The Gross Clinic” May Be the Most Important American Painting

Artsy's Alina Cohen writes, "In 1875, Thomas Eakins decided to paint a picture that would glorify his hometown of Philadelphia. [...] The work has become perhaps the most important painting in the history of American art."


About PAFA

Founded in 1805, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is America's first school and museum of fine arts. A recipient of the National Medal of Arts, PAFA offers undergraduate and graduate programs in the fine arts, innovative exhibitions of historic and contemporary American art, and a world-class collection of American art. PAFA’s esteemed alumni include Mary Cassatt, Njideka Akunyili Crosby, William Glackens, Barkley L. Hendricks, Violet Oakley, Louis Kahn, David Lynch, and Henry Ossawa Tanner.