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Article: Art science, and patronage in early Philadelphia.(Pennsylvania)
- Article from:
- The Magazine Antiques
- Article date:
- October 1, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1999 Brant Publications, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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During the first half of the eighteenth century Philadelphia became the intellectual and cultural center of the American colonies. It also emerged as the fastest growing mercantile center, benefiting from exports of its rich agricultural commodities to Europe and the West Indies. The city's elite merchant class embraced the intellectual interests, recreations, and latest fashions from England and the Continent.(1)
Upon his arrival in 1682 William Penn (1644-1718) had sought to establish a society based on religious diversity, liberty, and personal opportunity. His vision tested many of the political, philosophical, and aesthetic theories of the early ...