Paintings
Our painting collection has a strong core of Renaissance, Baroque, and American works. The Renaissance and Baroque collection began with a gift from collector and philanthropist Samuel H. Kress (1863–1955), and includes a fine selection of Italian, Dutch, Flemish, and rare German paintings. Our American paintings date from the mid-1700s to the present: a unique aspect of this collection is work by nationally recognized artists with connections to Eastern Pennsylvania, such as Henry Ossawa Tanner, Nelson Shanks, and Kay WalkingStick.
Jacopo di Cione
Madonna and Child in Glory with Saints and AngelsUnknown, Franconian School
Miraculous Mass of St. Martin of ToursGiovanni Agostino da Lodi
Adoration of the ShepherdsPaulus Moreelse
Portrait of Henrica Ploos van AmstelStudio of Frans Snyders
Larder with a Servant, a Cook, a Spaniel and her Pups (Game Stall)Jan Steen
Soo de Ouden Songen, Soo Pijpen de Jongen (As the Old Sing, So Pipe the Young)Benjamin West
Portrait of Thomas WyldHenry Ossawa Tanner
Lion Licking PawGeorge Wesley Bellows
Dawn of PeaceRobert Motherwell
Wall with GraffitiMary Bauermeister
UntitledNelson Shanks
NancyKay WalkingStick
Blame the Mountains
Decorative Arts
A particular gem in our collection is the library from the Francis W. Little House, designed 1912–1915 by famed architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Many of our decorative arts objects provide a context for Wright’s work by highlighting related design movements.
Frank Lloyd Wright Library
Whiting Manufacturing Company
Sugar Bowl, Coffeepot, and CreamerLouis Comfort Tiffany
Presentation Vase with CoverFulper Pottery Co.
One-Handled Jug, "Vasekraft,"Anthonie van Oostrum
Tall Case ClockWharton Esherick
Wagon Wheel ChairRobert Venturi with with Denise Scott Brown
Chippendale Style Side Chair
Textiles
Our celebrated collection of over 8,000 textiles spans some sixteen centuries and six continents, and represents the most globally diverse area of our holdings. Particular areas of strength are international needlework traditions, European lace, and American printed silks of the 1920s-30s. This collection provides an extensive scope for research, exhibitions, and programming and has drawn both national and international attention for its quality. Gifts from the Merle-Smith family, Rosalind Miller, and Ellie Laubner form its core.
Chinese
Rank BadgeIndia
PalamporeTurkish
TowelAnn Hutchinson
Portrait of the Hutchinson FamilyAustria
Fan MountAmerican or European
Afternoon DressSeizaburo Kajimoto
Morning Sea, Four-Panel ScreenJohn Held Jr.
Flappers and SheiksMildred T. Johnstone
Alice in a Wonderland of SteelAlbrizio Inc.
Pink Rose Wig HatMary McFadden
Long Gown from the Art Nouveau Collection
Works on Paper
Works on paper are a strong area of our collection and are frequently rotated in the galleries. Highlights include nearly four hundred prints dating from the Renaissance to the twenty-first century purchased with the SOTA (Society of the Arts) Print Fund. The history of twentieth century American printmaking—and the legacy of renowned print workshop Atelier 17—is well-represented thanks to gifts from Paul K. Kania and the Peter Grippe Collection.
Diana Scultori
Latona Giving Birth to Apollo and Diana on the Island of DelosRembrandt Harmensz van Rijn
Peter and John Healing the Cripple at the Gate of the TempleElizabeth Catlett
SharecropperLouis Marin Bonnet
The Woman Taking CoffeeAndō Hiroshige
Numazu from the series Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido RoadWilliam Geskes
Untitled Jacquard DesignStanley William Hayter
LaocoonWillem de Kooning and Harold Rosenberg
Revenge from the portfolio 21 Etchings and PoemsPeter Grippe and Dylan Thomas
The Hand that Signed the Paper Felled a City from the portfolio 21 Etchings and PoemsFranz Kline and Frank O'Hara
Poem from the portfolio 21 Etchings and Poems
Sculpture
Our sculpture holdings include works from fine art and religious traditions, as well as works that push the boundaries of art by incorporating unexpected elements such as sound or studio craft processes.