Baltimore Museum of Art

Introduction

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Established in 1914, this museum is located on the campus of Johns Hopkins University but remains an independent institution. The institution began with a single painting, but thanks to donations and support from museum patrons, the the Baltimore Museum of Art now boasts a collection 95,000 works of art—including the largest collection of works by Henri Matisse in the world. The Museum’s collection of art spans centuries and a number of periods, representing many diverse artistic styles. Highlights of the museum include the Cone Collection, brought together by famed Baltimore collecting sisters Dr. Caribel (1864–1929) and Miss Etta Cone (1870–1949). Since 2006, the Baltimore Museum of Art has provided free general admission so that residents and visitors to the city can enjoy the museum's collections regardless of their income level.

Images

Baltimore Museum of Art logo

Exterior of the Baltimore Museum of Art

Backstory and Context

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The Baltimore Museum of Art’s main building was built in 1929, in the "Roman Temple" architectural style. The 210,000-square-foot museum was designed by renowned American architect John Russell Pope. A $28 million multi-year renovation that began in 2010 has transformed and modernized the museum’s galleries and added a new center for art, creativity, and community.

Throughout the museum, visitors will find an outstanding selection of American and European painting, sculpture, and decorative arts; prints and drawings from the 15th century to the present; works by established and emerging contemporary artists; and objects from Africa and Asia. Two landscaped gardens display an array of 20th-century sculpture.

Sources

"The Baltimore Museum of Art," Baltimore Museum of Art, accessed Oct 5, 2017, https://artbma.org/about/index.html.