American Art Until 1900 July 24, 2008

The American Collections Galleries feature objects owned by the Milwaukee Art Museum, the Layton Art Collection (housed at the Museum since 1957), and the Chipstone Foundation (a Milwaukee based institution dedicated to furthering scholarship in the decorative arts). The core of the paintings collection was formed by Frederick Layton in the late 19th century and includes such highlights as Eastman Johnson's 'The Old Stagecoach' (1871) and John Kensett's 'Lakes of Killarney' (1857). The collections of decorative arts are noted for breadth (spanning from the 17th century through the 21st century) and depth (with particular strength in the 18th century). Highlights include the Layton Art Collection's 17th-century turned 'Great Chair' from New York, the Chipstone Foundation's 18th-century Philadelphia rococo 'Card Table' and the Milwaukee Art Museum's mid-19th-century rococo revival 'Sofa' made by John and Henry Belter of New York.