View of the Montgomery County Almshouse Buildings
Date1878
Artist
Charles C. Hofmann (ca. 1820-1882)
MediumOil on canvas
Dimensions32" x 45 1/2" (81.3 cm. x 115.6 cm.) unframed 33" x 47" framed.
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number1959.102.2
DescriptionThe pictorial composition is contained within a rounded-corner rectangle painted on the canvas, leaving a painted margin all round. Title and personnel listings appear within a capsule-shaped reserve at center bottom painted above the outer margin. A large 3 1/2-story building painted green with lighter green quoins and a cupola at center dominates the distant hillside and is clearly reflected in the water running across the foreground of the picture. Other lesser buildings pertaining to the complex are scattered around it and the rolling hillside in front of these and beyond are varied in color and texture suggesting differing crop or foliage growth and differing states of harvesting. At far left a canal barge proceeds into the picture, drawn by two horses and a mule on the bank near center. Another barge is going out of the picture at far right. Part of a foreground river bank is apparent at far right, where three figures hold fishing poles; a young boy stands facing right, a middle-aged man sits astride a log fishing, and an elderly bearded man raises a bottle in his hand. Other figures are visible in the middle ground on the barges and in the distance approaching the central building.The one-inch flat hard-wood frame, painted black over red, is probably a twentieth-century replacement.Label TextHofmann painted views of the almshouses in four Pennsylvania counties, Berks, Montgomery, Schuylkill, and Northampton. His depictions were commissioned by employees of the institutions, who were proud of their progressive work in caring for society's homesless and destitute but were also given as trades to support his alcohol additiction.
Some or all of Hofmann's payment may have been room and board, since the artist was a frequent almshouse resident himself. During the years 1872-182, almshouse records listed his "causes of pauperism" as "intemperance," "no home," "vagrant," and "unable to support himself." His final almshouse admission was in Berks County in November 1881 with a broken arm; he stayed until his death the following spring.Inscription(s)Painted in the lower right corner of the canvas is "C. HOFMANN, JUNE 4th 1878," and in the reserve at center bottom is the main title "View of the Montgomery_County_ Almshouse_Buildings." Above the main title within the reserve is "(State of Pennsylvania)," and below the main title within the reserve is "Directors of the poor: " followed by the bracketed names and titles "Henry D. Wile," "Martin Ruth," "John Field, " "(Clerk: Frank Hoffman.)," "Steward: G.D. Frontfield," Understeward: C. U. Bean, " "J. S. Morey, M. D.," "County-Treasurer, Evan G. Jones," "Clerk: Wm. G. Smith." Painted on the side of the barge at far left is "Centennial Fright (sic) from/(Canada)," and on the stern of the barge at far right is "READING."ProvenancePurchased from Robert Carlen. Ownership prior to Carlen unknown.
Early 18th century
