The museum's collection of approximately 15,000 works focuses on American art from the 18th century to the present, with a special emphasis on artists who have lived or worked in Maine. Over 5,000 are searchable on the museum's collection database.

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Sculpture


Highlights from our collection


Eliot Porter: All the Wild Places

Eliot Furness Porter (1901–1990) is best known for his role in establishing color photography as an important art form. Porter’s passion for nature in all its colors led him to teach himself the dye transfer process, becoming one of the first photographers to devote himself full time to color. This exhibition, on display in the Crosman Gallery starting February 29, 2020, is curated by Jane Bianco and features an accompanying catalogue.


Maine: The Farnsworth Collection- Morehouse Galleries

The works currently on view in the Morehouse galleries represent the diversity of the Farnsworth collection – with works spanning more than two centuries – as well as the inventiveness of the artists who have found Maine an inspiration for their work.


Maine: The Farnsworth Collection- Nevelson Gallery

Located on the museum’s 6th floor, the Nevelson Gallery currently features an array of mediums and artists from different centuries with a focus on the history and scenic beauty of mid-coast Maine.


The Wyeths: Family and Friends

Families of great artists comprise a small but significant part of America’s art historical record and the Wyeths are the focus of this exhibition, currently on display in the Wyeth Center.


Recent Acquisitions

Browse works that have come into the collection since 2015. Not all of theses artwork are on display, so please inquire before visiting.


Farnsworth Homestead Collection

The 1850 Greek Revival Farnsworth Homestead was the home of Lucy Copeland Farnsworth (1839-1935), the museum’s founder, and is part of the main museum campus. Open to the public late May through early October for tours, the elegant structure has remained intact, with virtually no changes during Lucy’s lifetime. Housed within the home, and now featured online, is the Farnsworth's historic Homestead Collection which features original Victorian furniture, carpets, and other furnishings, as well as paintings, prints, glassware, dishes, clothing, toys, and jewelry.


Louise Nevelson Collection

The Farnsworth's collection of Nevelson works is the second largest in the United States and spans six decades of the artist's long career. Not all of her artwork is on display, so please inquire before visiting.


Jonathan Fisher Collection

The Farnsworth has a large collection of works by Jonathan Fisher, the first pastor of the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill, Maine. Largely untrained as an artist, he had a natural ability for drawing and painting and taught himself wood engraving. Not all of his artwork is on display, so please inquire before visiting.


The Wyeths

The Farnsworth has a rich collection of paintings, drawings and watercolors by three generations of Wyeth artists: N.C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth and James Wyeth. Not all of their artwork is on display, so please inquire before visiting.