West on the Walls: The 1807 Exhibition of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts

This article examines the history and significance of the first exhibition of paintings at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts in 1807. It follows the transatlantic networks that brought Robert Fulton's art collection to Philadelphia, reconstructs Charles Willson Peale's installation, and assesses Benjamin West's role in these endeavors. Accompanied by an interactive digital study of the exhibition and gallery, it argues that Peale designed the installation with several interests in mind, including the Pennsylvania Academy's ambitions, Fulton's promotion of the illustrated poem The Columbiad, and Peale's hopes to secure a permanent home for his Philadelphia Museum.