Arnot Art Museum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Arnot Art Museum
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Location	235 Lake Street Elmira, New York
Built	1833, 1890s, 1982
Architectural style	Greek-Revival
Website	http://www.arnotartmuseum.org/
Part of	Elmira Civic Historic District (ID80002596)
Designated CP	July 30, 1980

The Arnot Art Museum is an exciting art museum located at 235 Lake Street in Elmira, New York. It first opened its doors in 1913. The museum is home to a fantastic collection of paintings from Europe, created in the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s. It also features American art from the 1800s and 1900s. For art from our time, the museum focuses on modern art that shows real-life subjects. The building where the museum is located is very important. It is a special part of the Elmira Civic Historic District.

The Museum Building

The Arnot Art Museum was started by a banker named Matthias Hallenback Arnot. When he passed away in 1910, he left his amazing art collection to the City of Elmira. He also gave them the beautiful building where his art was kept.

A Historic Home

The main part of the museum building is an old mansion. It was built way back in 1833 by Matthias's father, John Arnot, Sr. This mansion is a great example of Greek Revival architecture. This style looks a lot like ancient Greek temples, with big columns and grand entrances.

The Picture Gallery

In the 1890s, Matthias added a special section to the mansion. This new part was a picture gallery, designed just for showing off his art. It had lots of gas lights to brighten the paintings. It also featured a large skylight, which let in natural light from above. This gallery is quite rare today. It's one of the few 19th-century private art galleries that still has its original art collection inside.

Modern Additions

To make more space for art and visitors, a new section was added to the museum in 1982. This addition helps the museum continue to grow and share art with everyone.

Art Collections

The Arnot Art Museum has many different types of art. Its collections include paintings from Europe and America. It also features some unique Surrealist artworks.

European Art

The museum's European art collection includes works by famous painters. You can see paintings by artists like William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Jules Breton, and Gustave Courbet. There are also pieces by Claude Lorrain and Jean-François Millet. These artists created their works mostly in the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries.

American Art

The American art collection showcases many talented artists from the United States. It features paintings by Albert Bierstadt and Thomas Cole. You can also find works by George Inness and Gilbert Stuart. The collection also includes sculptures by artists like Anna Hyatt Huntington and Frederick MacMonnies. Many of these artists were part of the Hudson River School, known for beautiful landscape paintings.

Surrealist Art

The museum also has art from the Surrealist movement. Surrealism was an art style that started in the early 1900s. Surrealist artists tried to show dreams and imagination in their work. One of the Surrealist painters in the collection is Jean Pierre Serrier.

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  L'Art et la Littérature by William-Adolphe Bouguereau (1867).

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  Autumn in the Catskills by Thomas Cole (1827).