Collection
The Milwaukee Art Museum’s collection is broad and diverse, with works from antiquity to the present. Its history dates to 1888 and reflects the city in which the Museum was built, and the individuals who helped build it. The collection’s more than 32,000 works include paintings, drawings, sculpture, decorative arts, photography, prints, video art, installation art, and textiles.
The Museum’s collection has developed over the years through select purchases, the gifts of local collectors, and the support of the community and generous donors. The Museum’s various areas of collecting boast many strengths, including the particularly noteworthy ones listed here. Continue Reading »
New Acquisition Highlights
Julia Beck (Swedish, 1853–1935) Nénuphars, ca. 1890
Sky Hopinka (Ho-Chunk Nation/Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians, b. 1984) Fainting Spells, 2018
Joseph Claude Sinel (American, b. New Zealand, 1889–1975) Manufactured by International Ticket Scale Company International Ticket Scale Company (New York, New York) Height and Weight Meter (model S), ca. 1927
Bohemian Decorated by Karl Pfohl (German, 1826–1894) Beaker, third quarter of 19th century
Max Pietschmann (German, 1865–1952) Study of a Model, 1885
Delita Martin (American, b. 1972) Published by Black Women of Print (founded 2018) Star Watcher, from the portfolio Continuum, 2020
Manufactured by Reed & Barton (Taunton, Massachusetts, founded 1824) "Modernist" Compote, 1928
Dorothea Lange (American, 1895–1965) Mended Stockings, San Francisco, 1934, printed 1950s
Probably by Matthew Schmidt (Augsburg, Germany, active 17th century) Covered Beaker, 1670/75
Katharina Grosse (German, b. 1961) Untitled, 2019
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Research
Explore the Museum’s robust historical records, and uncover new discoveries.
- Francisco de Zurbarán (Spanish, 1598–1664), Saint Francis of Assisi in His Tomb (detail), 1630/34. Oil on canvas. Purchase, M1958.70. Photo by John R. Glembin
- Harry Callahan (American, 1912–1999), Chicago (detail), ca. 1948, printed 1950s. Gelatin silver print. Purchase, with funds from the Ralph and Cora Oberndorfer Family Trust, M2008.81. Copy photo by John R. Glembin. © The Estate of Harry Callahan, courtesy Pace Gallery
- Romare Bearden (American, 1911–1988), The Street (detail), 1964. Paper collage on cardboard. Gift of Friends of Art and African American Art Acquisition Fund, M1996.52. Photo by John R. Glembin. © Romare Bearden/Artist Rights Society (ARS), New York
- Eastman Johnson (American, 1824–1906), The Old Stagecoach (detail), 1871. Oil on canvas. Layton Art Collection Inc., Gift of Frederick Layton, L1888.22. Photo by John R. Glembin