Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Honorary Membership Certificate, 1882

Other Prints · 19th century

Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts Honorary Membership Certificate, 1882

€ 470

Original antique · The actual sheet photographed · Certificate of authenticity on request · Sold unframed · Worldwide shipping from € 15 (rates)

Date: 1882
Sheet size: 34 × 30 cm (13.4 × 11.8 in)
Condition: Good
Reference: BG-14302-30

What the condition grades mean

Excellent: Bright and clean, with no faults worth mentioning.
Very good: Only light signs of age, such as faint toning.
Good: Normal signs of age for a sheet of this period: toning, some foxing, small marks or neat old repairs.
Fair: Clear faults such as staining, tears or repairs, priced to match.

Every fault we see is written in the condition note, and the whole sheet is shown uncropped in the photos.

Condition

Good condition consistent with age. General age toning and scattered foxing throughout. Minor handling wear and light creasing. Original manuscript inscriptions, signatures, and embossed seal remain visible. Please review all images carefully.

About this sheet

Honorary membership certificate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, a steel-engraved form completed by hand and dated 1882. The sheet is printed in black on cream paper, with the recipient's name, the signatures and the date entered in manuscript.

An oval vignette at the top shows the Academy's neoclassical building, with its columned portico, set among tall trees with a few visitors standing before the entrance. Beneath it, flourished script reads "This Certifies that Jean Rousseau is an Honorary Member of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Founded at Philadelphia A.D. 1805." The name is written in by hand and underlined in red. Below are the signatures of James L. Claghorn as President and a second officer as Secretary, with the date written in as "May 8" followed by the year.

Founded in 1805, the Academy is among the oldest art institutions in the United States, and such certificates document the people it chose to honor.