Cincinnati Art Museum

The Cincinnati Art Museum is a major cultural institution in the United States. Founded in 1881, it now sits in Eden Park on the eastern edge of downtown. The museum's history is closely tied to Cincinnati's economic and cultural rise in the 19th century, when the city became an important center of commerce and industry. The impetus for its founding came from a group of women who, after the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia, wanted a museum for their city. Construction was funded by generous donations from citizens and patrons, while the city provided the land. The original building, which opened in 1886, dates from the Richardsonian Romanesque era and has been expanded several times over the years. Today the complex includes more than a hundred galleries, ranging from the historic west facade to modern additions.

The museum's collections are based almost entirely on gifts and bequests and include works of art from nearly every part of the world, spanning roughly six thousand years of human history. Here you can admire a diverse mix of European masterpieces, American art, and objects from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Especially noteworthy is the department of African art, which made the museum one of the first in the U.S. to hold a collection of this kind. The Asian collection, with a focus on Chinese and Japanese art, is likewise among the oldest of its kind in the country. The European and American painting galleries feature works by renowned artists such as Rembrandt, Monet, Picasso, and Frank Duveneck, who was himself a native of Cincinnati.

In addition to paintings and sculptures, the museum also shows extensive holdings of decorative arts, textiles, and musical instruments. A special attraction is the so-called Period Rooms, in which historic interior styles from different eras and countries have been recreated. The fashion and textiles department includes thousands of objects, among them clothing by famous designers such as Coco Chanel and Christian Dior. Photography is also strongly represented, with works ranging from pioneers to contemporary artists. The museum also offers a wide-ranging education program and rotating special exhibitions that enrich the city's cultural life.