Paintings, sculpture, collages, video, decorative objects

Although the Department of Modern and Contemporary Art was not established until 1971 (as the Department of Twentieth-Century Art), the Museum has a long history of commitment to the art of the day. At the core of its holdings of modern art are the A. E. Gallatin and Louise and Walter Arensberg collections, gifts that brought to Philadelphia significant work by such artistic giants as Pablo Picasso, Constantin Brancusi, Joan Miró, and Marcel Duchamp. In fact, the Museum boasts the world's largest and most important collection of Duchamp's work--from his iconic readymades to intriguing masterpieces such as The Large Glass and Étant donnés. The Alfred Stieglitz Collection includes major works by the American masters Georgia O’Keeffe, Marsden Hartley, and other members of the Stieglitz Circle. The Museum’s expanding contemporary holdings include important works by artists such as Cy Twombly, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Sol LeWitt, and Bruce Nauman. Recent acquisitions by the department have focused on younger artists and new media, African American artists, and self-taught artists.

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