What Is in the Smithsonian Museum of Art?

Art|Art Museum

The Smithsonian Museum of American Art is the largest museum dedicated to American art in the world. It houses the world’s foremost collection of American art, spanning over two centuries of history. From early colonial portraiture to modern abstract works, the museum holds numerous treasures that reflect the story of American art and culture.

The Smithsonian Museum of American Art has five major collections: painting, sculpture, prints and drawings, photographs and media arts. These collections are further divided into sub-collections that display a variety of styles and movements from different eras.

The painting collection includes a vast selection of works from major movements in American Art such as New England Luminism, Hudson River School, Ashcan School, Regionalism and Abstract Expressionism. Masterpieces from well-known artists like Thomas Cole, Georgia O’Keeffe or Jackson Pollock are among the highlights in this collection.

The sculpture collection consists largely of outdoor works that adorn the museum’s grounds. In addition to these important sculptures by renowned artists like Augustus Saint Gaudens or Alexander Calder there is also a small indoor sculpture gallery featuring pieces from colonial times to modern day.

The prints and drawings collection contains over 100,000 works ranging from early colonial portraits to contemporary abstract prints by leading figures such as Roy Lichtenstein or Robert Rauschenberg. This extensive collection also includes a selection of Japanese woodblock prints and rare 18th century French etchings.

The photographs collection contains some 60,000 photographs ranging from 19th century daguerreotypes to contemporary digital images. This diverse selection contains prints by key photographers such as Ansel Adams or Walker Evans as well as contemporary works by emerging photographers such as Carrie Mae Weems or Cindy Sherman.

Finally there is the media arts section which features films, videos and digital artworks produced between the 1940’s to present day by both established artists like Nam June Paik or Yoko Ono as well as young emerging talents like Cory Arcangel or Dara Birnbaum.

In conclusion the Smithsonian Museum of American Art is an amazing repository for all types of American artwork from many different eras and styles that can be enjoyed by visitors from all walks of life.