Taft Museum of Art
The Taft Museum of Art is one of the finest small art museums in America. A National Historic Landmark built in 1820, the Taft is home to an extensive art collection that includes European and American master paintings, Chinese porcelains, and European decorative arts. See major works by Rembrandt, Hals, Goya, Gainsborough, Reynolds, Turner, Ingres, Whistler, and Sargent, as well as the greatest Gothic ivory sculpture in America.
Around 1850, resident of the house Nicholas Longworth commissioned Robert S. Duncanson to paint landscape murals in the foyer. Each measures 9 ½ by 6 feet and is framed by a painted scroll that is meant to fool the eye. These large-scale landscapes are the most ambitious surviving pre-Civil War mural paintings for a home in the United States. They survive as a lasting memorial to this gifted artist and as an integral part of the Taft Museum of Art. Duncanson is the first African American artist to have achieved international acclaim.
In 1986, the Duncanson Artist-in-Residence Program was established to honor the achievements of contemporary African American artists working in a variety of disciplines. This three-week residency takes place each fall.
