See fine works of art representing the Saint Louis Art Museum’s extensive collection and special exhibitions during your visit to the art museum. Start or end your visit in the Museum’s Café in the East Building. The Museum Shop carries merchandise inspired by the Museum’s collection and exhibitions.
The Saint Louis Art Museum Collection
The Saint Louis Art Museum’s collection is comprised of over 30,000 works of art that span from antiquity to the present and are organized into the following collections: African American Art, African Art, American Art, Ancient American Art, Arms and Armor, Art of the Pacific Islands, Asian Art, Contemporary Art, Decorative Arts and Design, European Art, Islamic Art, Modern Art, Native American Art, Photographs, Prints and Drawing, and Textile Art.
Collection Highlights
Among the Museum’s collection are three-dimensional works that demonstrate exceptional craftsmanship and skill such as The Relief Plaque of a Ceremonial Sword Carrier by Benin artists from Africa whose royal patronage allowed them to develop their bronze casting skills to a remarkable level. Other significant works of sculpture in the Museum’s collection include the Chinese wooden sculpture Guanyin and Breaking of the Vessels by contemporary German artist Anselm Kiefer. Many of the Museum’s objects are valued for their connections to anthropology or history including the Maya Ballgame Vessel and the Egyptian Case of Amen-Nestawy-Nakht. Many works within the Museum’s collections offer a window into history. Such works include The Amphora with Heracles and the Delphic Tripod, Interior of St. Peter’s, Rome by Giovanni Paolo Panini and Thomas Hart Benton’s Cradling Wheat. While some works in the collection such as Bust of a Black Man, Keith and Acrobat Trapeze will allow you to compare the ways artists have represented the world across times and places, other works such as Claude Monet’s Charing Cross Bridge will inspire you to see the natural world in new and exciting ways. Other notable works in the art museum’s collection such as Alexej von Jawlensky’s Spring and Mark Rothko’s Red, Orange, Orange on Red have been designed to evoke emotion.
Café at the Saint Louis Art Museum
Enjoy a snack or lunch at the Saint Louis Art Museum’s Café, located in the East Building. The Café serves casual fare including soups, salads and sandwiches made using fresh local ingredients and featuring organic produce when possible.
Shopping at the Saint Louis Art Museum
Stop by the Museum Shop, located in the South Building across from the Café. The Museum Shop boasts an eclectic assortment of exquisite, art-inspired gifts such as art glass, jewelry, books, posters and toys. The Exhibition Shop, sells items related to the Museum’s special exhibitions and can be found in the East Building.
- Complimentary wheelchairs are available on a first-come, first-served basis from the Information Center, located in the Museum’s Sculpture Hall.
- Maps of the Museum are also available from the Information Center and can help you make the most out of your visit to the Saint Louis Art Museum.
- Still photography is permitted within the Museum solely for private, noncommercial use.