Europe 1924
Europe 1924
September 14 – 28, 2024
Wednesdays through Sundays, 1 to 5 pm
Opening Reception: Saturday September 14th, 1 – 5 pm
One hundred years ago, Ben Solowey left Philadelphia for Europe. The five-month sojourn, spent mostly in Paris, would have a significant impact on the young painter.
A new exhibit, Europe 1924, will reunite almost half of the paintings he created on that trip, as well as artifacts from it. Also on display will be paintings and drawings done before and after the trip to demonstrate the impact of the experience.
Europe 1924 will open to the public on Saturday September 14th at the Solowey Studio in Ottsville, PA with a reception from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and remain open on Sunday at the same hours. The exhibit will continue its public hours Wednesdays through Sundays, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., through September 28th. The Studio will be open by appointment for the remainder of the year.
Europe 1924 features paintings and photographs by Solowey, which record his trip through Europe, along with artifacts such as the trunk he took on the journey. “The exhibition begins with examples of Ben’s work from his time at the Academy from 1919 to 1923,” says David Leopold, the Director of the Solowey Studio. “On his customs declaration when he returned, Ben listed 40 ‘sketches in oil.’ Of those 40 paintings, 22 had been reunited. The European works are, for the most part, intimate oils on boards, which provided easy transportation when Ben traveled from place to place. These works show a spontaneity and invention that came from painting on the spot where inspiration hit.”
Look for posts in The Letter, the Solowey’s Studio blog, with stories and images from the trip.
In the Solowey Main Studio there will be a selection of paintings, drawings, and sculpture from all parts of his career, displayed in the studio that where many of the works were created. “There is nothing like the thrill of seeing these masterpieces where they were created, in Solowey’s spacious studio, which maintains the atmosphere of the artist at work.”
Please join us for our opening reception on September 14th, when we open the Solowey home, filled with his handcrafted furniture, for the only time this year and serve home-baked goods.