In 1931, the city of Baltimore received one of its greatest treasures when Henry Walters (1848-1931) bequeathed his Art Gallery and his collection of 22,000 works of art to his native city “for the benefit of the public.” The Walters bequest is still considered among the greatest acts of cultural philanthropy in our nation’s history. Henry Walters’ interests were boundless, ranging over 5,000 years, from ancient Egypt to art nouveau. Today, the museum bearing the Walters’ family name is a cultural institution of international renown, one of only a few museums worldwide to present a comprehensive history of art from the third millenium B.C. to the early 20th century.

Although significantly expanded, the museum’s strength and scope continue to reflect Mr. Walters’ collecting genius and philanthropic spirit. In its three museum buildings - Henry Walters’ original Palazzo, the Hackerman House Asian Art Gallery, and the 1974 Building - The Walters Art Museum continues to educate and entertain with an ambitious series of special exhibitions and an array of activities, lectures and educational programs for all age groups.

Few museum collections amassed by an individual collector or family of collectors can boast the range and scope of that of the Walters Art Museum. Among its thousands of treasures, the museum holds the finest collection of ivories, jewelry, enamels and bronzes in America and a spectacular reserve of illuminated manuscripts and rare books. The Walters’ Egyptian, Greek and Roman, Byzantine, Ethiopian and western medieval art collections are among the best in the nation, as are the museum’s holdings of Renaissance and Asian art. Every major trend in 19th century French painting is represented by one of more works in the Walters’ collection.
Old Masters Collection

The formation of the collection of old master paintings in the Walters Art Museum began in 1901, when Henry Walters purchased Raphael’s Madonna of the Candelabra (1513-14), which became the first Raphael Madonna to enter an American collection. The most substantial contribution to The Walters’ collection of old master paintings came in the following year, when Walters purchased the entire collection of Don Marcello Massarenti of Rome. His purchase price of five million francs (approximately $1 million) included over 800 paintings, 500 antiquities, and various decorative art objects. The earliest piece in the Massarenti collection, The Mourning Virgin, is a rare example of painting from the 12th-century school of Spoleto, Italy. Among the 13th- and 14th-century works are gold-ground panels by Pietro Lorenzetti and Tomaso da Modena. One of the strengths of the collection is works of the 16th century, including fine Mannerist works of Rosso and Pontormo. The large Massarenti collection also includes many non-Italian works, El Greco’s St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata being among the most noteworthy.

After the grand-scale Massarenti purchase, Walters continued to add selectively to his holdings of old master paintings. Some of his most noteworthy acquisitions include four predella panels by Giovanni di Paolo, the haunting Portrait of a Boy by Sofinisba Anguissola, and Bronzino’s Portrait of a Baby Boy (ca. 1550). Although Walters was less interested in Dutch old masters, in 1920 he did purchase Hugo van der Goes’ Donor with St. John the Baptist (ca. 1475), which today is probably the most famous old master painting in The Walters’ collection.
Hours: Tuesday - Friday 10 AM - 4 PM, Saturday & Sunday 11 AM - 5 PM, First Thursday of every month 10 AM - 8 PM, closed Mondays and major holidays.

Please Note: The 1974 Building of the Walters Art Museum is currently closed while it undergoes a $20 million renovation. The building will reopen in October 2001. The remainder of the buildings — Henry Walters’ original Palazzo and the Hackerman House Asian Art Gallery will remain open to the public during this time.

Admission: $5 for adults, $3 for seniors, college students, and young adults (ages 18-25) with ID, $1 for children ages 6-17, free for members and children under 6; admission is free to all from 11AM - 1 PM on Saturdays; prices may vary for special exhibitions

Location: The Walters Art Museum is located in the historic Mt. Vernon cultural district of downtown Baltimore, Maryland. The museum is ten blocks from Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, at the corner of North Charles and Centre Streets.
For tickets/information, call: 410-547-9000
Hours to call: 24-hour information line
Tickets may NOT be purchased by phone using a credit card. For Special Exhibitions only: Ticket Master. Please note that the Walters Art Gallery has recently changed its name to the Walters Art Museum to better reflect its mission.

Visit their Web site at: http://www.TheWalters.org