Top 10 Highlights at the Taft Museum of Art
On a tight schedule? Here are ten highlights in the Taft Museum of Art permanent collection you won’t want to miss!
Virgin and Child (about 1260)Taft Museum of Art
Virgin and Child
This nearly 800-year-old portrayal of Mary holding the infant Jesus survived the looting of religious sites during the French Revolution in 1794. It is now considered one of the most important Gothic ivory sculptures in the world.
Notebook (about 1900) by House of Faberg‚Taft Museum of Art
Notebook
Did you know that over 75 percent of the museum’s collection is composed of decorative works of art? One example is this exquisite notebook. Best known for its imperial Easter eggs, the House of Fabergé created some of the world’s most luxurious and skillfully crafted objects.
Casket with the Triumph of Diana (about 1550) by Pierre ReymondTaft Museum of Art
Casket with the Triumph of Diana
The Taft is home to one of the world’s ten most important collections of Renaissance Limoges enamels. One of the nearly eighty French painted enamels on display, this decorative box exhibits the superb precision required of this complex technique.
Europa and the Bull (about 1845) by Joseph Mallord William TurnerTaft Museum of Art
Europa and the Bull
This colorful and atmospheric depiction of a classical myth is a late work by one of England’s greatest landscape painters. Left unfinished in Turner’s studio at the end of his life, the painting’s expressive nature foreshadows modern art.
Landscape Mural (about 1850–1852) by Robert S. DuncansonTaft Museum of Art
Landscape Murals
Painted by the first Black American artist to achieve international acclaim, these eight remarkable landscape murals represent imagined places likely inspired by Duncanson’s sketching trips along the Ohio River and in other parts of the Midwest and South.
Jeanne Gonin (1821) by Jean-Auguste-Dominique IngresTaft Museum of Art
Jeanne Gonin
Once owned by Impressionist painter Edgar Degas, this portrait demands attention with Jeanne Gonin’s riveting gaze. Fewer than a dozen American museums own portraits by Ingres, who was known for portraying individuals with astonishing realism.
At the Piano (1858–1859) by James McNeill WhistlerTaft Museum of Art
At the Piano
This painting of a woman and girl entranced by the spell of music is considered Whistler’s first masterpiece. The elegant composition and harmoniously balanced color demonstrate Whistler’s belief that a work of art’s beauty is paramount.
Portrait of a Man Rising from His Chair (1633) by Rembrandt van RijnTaft Museum of Art
Portrait of a Man Rising from His Chair
The active pose of the man in this portrait was innovative for its time. One of the finest works from the early decades of Rembrandt’s career, the painting spotlights the master’s ability to render realistic textures and lifelike flesh while capturing emotion.
Commode (about 1750) by Pierre RousselTaft Museum of Art
Commode
Made during the reign of Louis XV (1715–1774), this commode is one of only two pieces of furniture on display that were owned by Charles and Anna Taft. Thin pieces of wood arranged in elaborate floral designs decorate this impressive work of art.
Vase with Women Warriors of the Yang Family (about 1700)Taft Museum of Art
Vase with Women Warriors of the Yang Family
Six women prepare to ride into battle on this spectacular vase, expertly painted in brilliant shades of precious cobalt pigment. The Tafts collected more than 200 Chinese porcelains, partly to inspire Cincinnati’s local ceramicists, such as those at Rookwood Pottery.
