The Man on a Bench is one of Horace Pippins most famous painting's depicting a red bench, located at Everhart Park. That's a white squirrel in the background.
The September 2023 edition of County Lines Magazine features an article, written by yours truly, on the renowned West Chester painter Horace Pippin (1888-1946). To explore how Pippin became a popular contemporary artist from West Chester -- which, in 1940, a New York writer described as "one of the shabbier suburbs of Philadelphia" (Ouch!) -- was an adventure of the inside culture of the art world.
Pippin's career went from zero (displaying his paintings in storefront windows downtown) to sixty (his art became popular with collectors, galleries, and museums throughout the world) when art critic Christian Brinton took note of the originality of the work, showed it to artist N.C. Wyeth, and they quickly arranged a one-man exhibit for Pippin.
Perhaps the greatest surprise was that after the article came out, I discovered that, yes, despite the high demand for his art today, you can still buy Horace Pippin original artwork in downtown West Chester. Check it out at Visual Expansion Gallery (132 N High St).
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