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Building a new collection

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In 1879, just four years after the opening of Smith College, the school began buying art to support the study of art and art history. Most of the artworks bought in these early years were bought directly from contemporary American artists. These early purchases included paintings by Winslow Homer, Louis C. Tiffany, George Inness, and Thomas Eakins.


In 1920, the museum finally developed its first official collecting policy, which focused on acquiring modern art. This marks a slight change away from American art, which was similar to other interests in the art world at the time.[1] 




 
[1] “History,” Smith College Museum of Art, accessed November 29, 2015, http://www.smith.edu/artmuseum/Collections/History.

This page has tags:

  1. Why Museums Collect Samantha Page

Contents of this tag:

  1. Childe Hassam's "Church at Old Lyme"
  2. Thomas Wilmer Dewing's "Lady with a Lute"
  3. J. Alden Weir's "Delft Plate"
  4. Louis Comfort Tiffany's "Duane Street, New York"
  5. Winslow Homer's "Song of the Lark"
  6. George Inness's "Morning"
  7. Abbott Handerson Thayer's "Winged Figure"
  8. Thomas Eakins's "In Grandmother's Time"
  9. William Merritt Chase's "View of the Brooklyn Navy Yard"
  10. Robert Swain Gifford's "Old Orchard Near the Sea, Massachusetts"
  11. William Merritt Chase's "Woman in Black"

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