Boston Museum of Fine Arts

Museums, Est. 1876

Located on Huntington Avenue, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts is one of the most comprehensive art museums in the world. Formerly located at Copley Square, the museum opened its doors on July 4, 1876, with a collection of about 5,600 works of art. When the collection and visitors grew in large number, the museum moved to its current location in 1919. Presently, there are more than 400,000 items on display, including art from Asia and Europe, contemporary art, ancient musical instruments, prints, drawings, photographs, textile, and fashion arts.

An interesting section in the museum is the department of the Art of Asia, with a collection covering the creative achievement of more than half the world’s population, since 4,000 BC. Among the displays are Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese ceramics; Japanese prints and metal works; Japanese, Chinese, and Indian paintings and sculpture; the arts of the Islamic world; and a collection of Oceanic and African art.

The Art of Europe section displays masterpieces by some of the greatest artists in history, ranging in date from the seventh century to the late 20th century. There are more than 24,000 objects in the collection, and some of them are paintings on canvas and ivory, works of decorative art, metalwork, and ceramics and glass artifacts. French decorative arts of the 18th century and sculpture featuring masterpieces from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance are significant.

The Art of the Americas section contains the finest works of American art including furniture, silver, and masterpieces by great artists such as Copley, Stuart, and Sargent.

One of the most important sections in the museum is the Art of the Ancient World, representing more than 7,000 years of art from Egypt, the Near East, Cyprus, Anatolia, Greece and Italy. It has on display a collection of more than 40,000 works of art including ceramics, mummies, paintings, sculpture, vases, and gold collectibles from ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Highlights include a numismatic collection of about 8,000 coins.

The Musical Instrument gallery displays an astounding array of musical instruments from around the world, dating from ancient civilizations to the late 20th century. Most of the instruments seen here have been donated by William Lindsey, a prominent businessman and a trustee of the Museum, in memory of his daughter, Leslie Lindsey Mason. William Lindsey purchased about 560 instruments from Canon Francis W. Galpin, an English collector and musical scholar. The collection includes an assemblage of European, Chinese, Japanese, African, Middle Eastern and Native American instruments.

The museum’s textile section has more than 27,000 objects on display. European tapestries, Middle Eastern rugs, and haute couture fashions are included in the collection.

The Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs, founded in 1887, holds a vast collection of prints, drawings, watercolors, photographs, illustrated books, and an encyclopedic collection of works on paper. Also, seen here are posters of American and European origin dating from the 15th century to the present.

With a collection of more than 40,000 objects, the Ancient Egyptian section at the museum serves as a resource to explore Egyptian art and civilization. About 95 percent of the collections seen here are the items revealed from excavations made in Egypt and Sudan.

Founded in 1987, the Museum Archives displays historically significant records from the museum’s administrative and curatorial departments dating from 1870 to the present.

The museum also offers special exhibitions and innovative educational programs. In addition, the School of the Museum of Fine Arts (SMFA), one of the oldest art schools in the nation, offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs.