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Joseph Papp

Object Details

Exhibition Label
Born Brooklyn, New York
When Joe Papp originated the New York Shakespeare Festival in 1956, his intent was to cultivate an audience broader than the middle class mainstream who flooded Broadway theaters in the mid-1950s—to reach those “who might never have seen a play before and who were unable or unwilling to pay.” By the 1960s, Papp had become a catalyst for alternative theater, most notably the 1967 “American tribal love-rock musical” Hair. The Shakespeare Festival produced the phenomenally successful musical A Chorus Line at Papp’s Public Theater in 1975, but his repertory also included jazz workshops, chamber music, puppet shows, and a wide range of classic and contemporary theater. His commitment to multicultural entertainment helped to change the face of American theater from the 1960s onward.
Provenance
(Robert Miller, New York); purchased 1994 NPG
Date
1964
Artist
Alice Neel, 28 Jan 1900 - 13 Oct 1984
Sitter
Joseph Papp, 22 Jun 1921 - Nov 1991
Place
United States\New York\Kings\New York
Topic
Equipment\Smoking Implements\Pipe
Joseph Papp: Male
Joseph Papp: Arts and Culture\Performing Arts\Theater\Theater producer
Portrait
See more items in
National Portrait Gallery Collection
Exhibition
NPG Mezzanine: 20th and 21st Century Americans
On View
NPG, South Gallery 322 Mezzanine
Credit Line
National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; partial gift of Richard Neel and Hartley Neel
Data Source
National Portrait Gallery
Object number
NPG.94.87
Type
Painting
Restrictions & Rights
Usage conditions apply
Copyright
© Estate of Alice Neel
Medium
Oil on canvas
Dimensions
Stretcher: 106 x 75.6 x 2.5cm (41 3/4 x 29 3/4 x 1")
Frame: 128.3 x 97.8 x 7cm (50 1/2 x 38 1/2 x 2 3/4")
Record ID
npg_NPG.94.87
Metadata Usage
Usage conditions apply
GUID
http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/sm4e6070546-cbeb-4eef-84ca-9b8d331a500c
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IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
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