MoMA Painting & Sculpture Department

The Museum of Modern Art in NYC is one of the top attractions for art lovers. With a collection of over 200,000 artworks, this museum pays homage to some of the best artists of the centuries.

MoMA Departments

NYC MoMA Museum has thousands of artworks that have been segregated into different departments over the years. 

  • The Architecture and Design department manages architectural designs, building models, and so on. 
  • The Painting and Sculpture department handles paintings and sculptures from different years and artists. 
  • The Drawing and Prints department manages a collection of paper drawings and prints including illustrated books, collages, watercolors, charcoal drawings, and more. 
  • The Media and Performance department handles time-based art. 
  • The Film department handles films and film stills.
  • The Photography department manages the collection of modern and contemporary photographs.

MoMA Painting & Sculpture Department

MOMA Painting and Scuplture

The first painting displayed from the MoMA Painting and Sculpture collection was in 1929. The works of Gauguin, Van Gogh, Seurat, and Cezanne were loaned and shown in this exhibition. In 1985, MoMA Painting and Sculpture Department was established. 

With around 3,600 artworks, the department holds the world’s largest collection of sculptures and modern paintings. It is quite inclusive and features works from the 19th century to the present date. From Cezanne’s The Bather to Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, you will find lots of masterpieces here. A look at this MoMA art collection will give you a glimpse into the major movements and artists from the 1890s.

MoMA Painting & Sculpture Highlights

MOMA Painting and Scuplture
  • Paul Cézanne, The Bather, 1885–87 
  • Vincent van Gogh, The Starry Night, 1889 
  • Vincent van Gogh, The Olive Trees with the Alpilles in the Background, 1889 
  • Henri Rousseau, The Sleeping Gypsy, 1897
  • Henri Matisse, The Dance I, 1909 
  • Henri Rousseau, The Dream, 1910 
MOMA Painting and Scuplture
  • Henri Matisse, L'Atelier Rouge, 1911 
  • Marc Chagall, I and the Village, 1911 
  • Henri Matisse, View of Notre-Dame, 1914 
  • Giorgio de Chirico, Love Song, 1914 
  • Kazimir Malevich, Suprematist Composition: White on White, 1918 
  • Piet Mondrian, Broadway Boogie Woogie, 1942-1943

Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Painting and Sculpture Study Center 

The Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Painting and Sculpture Study Center is the best way to access information on MoMA paintings or sculptures. The study center has files on over 3,400 MoMA sculptures and paintings. You can get photographs, press clippings, label texts, correspondence, press releases, etc. for the artworks. One can access the files in this study center by getting an appointment for Wednesday or Thursday. It is accessible between 11 AM and 5 PM.

Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art

MoMA Museum has always been focused on finding and collecting modern and contemporary art since its inception in 1929. In an attempt to celebrate the evolving collection of artworks in NYC MoMA, the museum published a book in 2015. The book was named Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art. It features amazing artworks that can be found in the MoMA Museum consisting of both famous and lesser-known artists. There is also an introduction by Ann Temkin, the Chief Curator of MoMA Painting and Sculpture department. She describes the process of selecting the works printed on the book, which accounts for only 5 percent of the MoMA Painting and Sculpture collection.

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All Your Questions About MoMA’s Painting & Sculpture Department Answered

Q. When was the first painting from the MoMA Painting & Sculpture Department exhibited?

A. The first painting from the MoMA Painting and Sculpture collection was displayed in 1929.

Q. When was the MoMA Painting and Sculpture Department established?

A. The MoMA Painting and Sculpture department was established in 1985.

Q. How many works of art does the MoMA Painting and Sculpture Department hold?

A. The MoMA Painting and Sculpture Department is home to around 3,600 artworks.

Q. What is the book ‘Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art’ about?

A. Published by MoMA in 2015, the Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art book features artworks of both famous and lesser-known artists.

Q. What is the Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Painting and Sculpture Study Center?

A. The Joseph and Sylvia Slifka Painting and Sculpture Study Center files, from photographs to press releases, of over 3,400 MoMA sculptures and paintings, making it the greatest resource center for anything related to painting and sculpture.