The Walters Art Museum is one of the most prominent art institutions in Baltimore, Maryland. It houses many artistic works from antiquity to the present day. Founded by William Thompson Walters in 1934, the museum has been a major part of the city’s culture for nearly a century.
The museum was originally located in what is now known as the Walters Mansion on West Mount Vernon Place. The mansion was built between 1858 and 1860 by William Thompson Walters and his wife, Henry Walters.
The original building contained a library, gallery and some of their personal collections. In the late 19th century, the family moved to a larger home in what is now known as the Mount Vernon neighborhood. As their collection grew, they decided to move it to a museum setting and its current location on North Charles Street was completed in 1909.
In its current form, the museum consists of two buildings: The original “Old Building” which houses much of their European art collection and includes a variety of objects from ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome; and The “New Building” which opened in 2006 and contains much of their modern art collection as well as modern design objects. Together they comprise an impressive array of art spanning over five thousand years of human history from all over the world.
The Old Building alone is nearly 110 years old making it one of Baltimore’s oldest cultural institutions still standing today! It also holds many notable pieces including two paintings by Rembrandt van Rijn, several sculptures by Auguste Rodin, Giambologna’s “Rape of Sabine Women” and other works from some of Europe’s greatest masters such as Titian, El Greco, Veronese, Rubens and Velazquez among others.
How Old Is The Walters Art Museum?
The Walters Art Museum dates back to 1909 when its current location opened on North Charles Street in Baltimore, Maryland. However it has roots that go back even further than that since its collection was founded by William Thompson Walters in 1834 when he moved into his home on West Mount Vernon Place with his wife Henry Walters. This makes it one of Baltimore’s oldest cultural institutions still standing today!
Conclusion: The iconic Walters Art Museum has been part of Baltimore’s history for over a century since it first opened its doors at North Charles Street in 1909. However its roots go back even further with its collection founded by William Thompson Wettle when he moved into his home with his wife Henry Wettle in 1834 making it one of Baltimore’s oldest cultural institutions still standing today!