Lyman Allyn Art Museum facts for kids
The museum's facade in 2015
|
|
| Established | 1926 |
|---|---|
| Location | 625 Williams Street New London, Connecticut, United States |
| Type | Art museum |
The Lyman Allyn Art Museum is a special place in New London, Connecticut. It was opened in 1926 by Harriet Upson Allyn. She created it to honor her father, Lyman Allyn. The museum is a place where people can learn about art and culture.
The museum has many different types of art. You can see art from Europe and other parts of the world. There is also American art, including paintings and decorative items. The museum also has fun educational programs for visitors.
On the museum's property, you'll find the Deshon-Allyn House. This old house was built in 1829. It shows a style of building called Federal architecture. The house used to belong to Lyman Allyn's family. It is now a recognized historic place.
Museum History
The Lyman Allyn Art Museum was created because of Harriet Upson Allyn. She passed away in 1926. In her will, she left money to build a new park and museum. She wanted it to be a place for people in the area. They could come to learn about art and culture.
Land for the museum was bought in 1927. A landscape architect named Ferruccio Vitale designed the park. The museum building itself was designed by Charles A. Platt. It is a large building, about 32,000 square feet. It was built using local granite. The building's style is called Neoclassical architecture.
In 1930, Winslow Ames became the museum's first Director. He was only 22 years old! The museum officially opened on May 2, 1932. The Governor of Connecticut, Wilbur Lucius Cross, spoke at the opening. The very next day, the museum opened its doors to everyone.
Art Collection
The Lyman Allyn Art Museum has a huge collection of art. There are about 10,000 art pieces in total! Many of these were collected by the museum's first Director, Winslow Ames. He gathered artworks from the 1500s all the way to the 1800s.
The collection includes a drawing by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. It is called Study for Madame Moitessier. You can also see works by famous artists like Frederic Leighton and François Boucher. Other well-known artists include Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain. The collection also features art by Charles LeBrun and Tiepolo.
American artists are also a big part of the collection. You might recognize names like Rembrandt Peale and Benjamin West. There are also paintings by Gilbert Stuart and John Trumbull. Important landscape painters like Thomas Cole, Frederick Edwin Church, and Albert Bierstadt are also featured.
American Paintings
The museum has many 19th-century American paintings. These include art from the Hudson River School. This group of artists painted beautiful landscapes. You can also see art from the Aesthetic Movement and Impressionism.
For example, there is Thomas Cole’s Mount Aetna from Taormina from 1844. Another is Frederic Edwin Church’s Study for New England Scenery from 1850. John F. Kensett’s Bash Bish Falls (1851) is also a great example. These paintings are often borrowed by other museums for special shows.
The museum also has art from the 1700s. This includes American paintings, drawings, and decorative items. There is a lot of old silver and furniture. A special part of this collection is three studies by John Singleton Copley. These are for his painting The Siege of Gibraltar. You can also see two works by Benjamin West. There is also a portrait by Winthrop Chandler.
The museum has a unique collection of 18th-century furniture. Much of it comes from New London County, Connecticut. This furniture has its own special style. The museum has even held special exhibits about this local furniture.
