The most famous artists with works in the Brooklyn Museum are Claude Monet, Eugène Delacroix, Gustave Courbet and Edgar Degas.
Our catalogue lists 407 works of the Brooklyn Museum by 272 artists; the 25 best known are ranked below, each with the works the museum holds.
The masters of the originals
The 10 masters whose originals hang in the Brooklyn Museum
For each master: where and when they were born, their movement, how many originals the museum keeps in our catalogue, a note from their life, and the originals to see.
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Impressionism
1. Claude Monet 1840–1926
1840–1926 Born in Paris, France Impressionism 5 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Born in Paris, France, on 14 November 1840, Claude Monet entered a world of diverging expectations. Tragedy arrived in January 1857, when Monet was sixteen years old. In 1883, Monet moved to a house and property in Giverny, a village northwest of Paris. In 1892, he married Alice Hoschedé, a union that provided a sense of stability as he continued his obsessive study of light and atmosphere.
Originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Romanticism
2. Eugène Delacroix 1798–1863
1798–1863 Born in Saint-Maurice, France Romanticism 3 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
The lineage of Eugène Delacroix is rooted in a blend of craftsmanship and diplomacy. Through him, the artist received numerous anonymous commissions, allowing his work to circulate through elite circles under a veil of discretion.
Originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Realism
3. Gustave Courbet 1819–1877
1819–1877 Born in Ornans, France Realism 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet was born on June 10, 1819, in Ornans, France. Growing up in the department of Doubs, his early years were shaped by the landscape of his home. In 1839, he moved to Paris. Later, Bruyas commissioned The Meeting, also known as Bonjour Monsieur Courbet, which reflected this established connection between patron and painter. In 1855, rather than retreating, Courbet took a more direct approach to his audience.
Originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Impressionism
4. Edgar Degas 1834–1917
1834–1917 Born in Paris, France Impressionism 4 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
French Realist known for capturing the movement of ballet dancers and racehorses through precise draftsmanship and artificial light. A child is born into a moderately wealthy family to Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas.
Originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Romanticism
5. William Blake 1757–1827
1757–1827 Born in London, United Kingdom Romanticism 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
William Blake was born on November 28, 1757, in London, England. While his upbringing was marked by the modest means of a tradesman's family, his early years were defined by a singular, intense imagination that often manifested in visions, such as seeing angels in the branches of a tree during childhood walks. Formal training began at the age of ten when he was enrolled at Henry Pars' drawing school.
Originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Realism
6. Jean-François Millet 1814–1875
1814–1875 Born in Gréville-Hague, France Realism 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Born on October 4, 1814, he did not enter the world of art through a gilded door. In 1837, he moved to Paris to enroll at the École des Beaux-Arts. The early 1840s were a period of professional rejection and personal upheaval that defined Millet's trajectory. After his first submission to the Salon was rejected, he returned to Cherbourg in 1841.
Originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Romanticism
7. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot 1796–1875
1796–1875 Born in Paris, France Romanticism 6 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
French Realist of atmospheric landscapes and soft vegetation, using thin washes and loosely dabbed strokes to capture the play of light. Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot was born in Paris in 1796. Between 1821 and 1822, he studied under Achille Etna Michallon.
Originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Precisionism
8. Georgia O'Keeffe 1887–1986
1887–1986 Born in Sun Prairie, United States Precisionism 4 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Georgia O'Keeffe was born on November 15, 1887, in a farmhouse near Sun Prairie, Wisconsin. By the age of ten, she had already decided that her life would be dedicated to art. After a period of illness and time away from her studies, she moved to New York City in 1907. There, she studied at the Art Students League.
Originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Post-Impressionism
9. Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec 1864–1901
1864–1901 Born in Albi, France Post-Impressionism 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Born on November 24, 1864, in Albi, France, Henri De Toulouse-Lautrec entered a world of significant social standing. Born into the French aristocracy, Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa entered a world of significant privilege. After a period spent in Albi, he returned to Paris in 1882 to continue his studies under Bonnat.
Originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Impressionism
10. Camille Pissarro 1830–1903
1830–1903 Born in Charlotte Amalie, United States Virgin Islands Impressionism 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
By 1861, he is a registered copyist in the Musée du Louvre, working among the shadows of the masters he seeks to emulate. The Impressionist movement is often viewed as a collection of fractured, competing egos, but Pissarro provides the glue.
Originals at the Brooklyn Museum
The masters, continued
No. 11 to No. 25: more masters of the Brooklyn Museum
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11. John Singer Sargent
Impressionism
1856–1925 · born in Florence, Italy · 5 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
American expatriate portraitist of the Gilded Age, known for fluid brushwork and elegant depictions of high-society figures and landscapes.
- Portrait of Aaron Augustus Healy (1907)
- Unloading Plaster (1908)
- Salmon River (1901)
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Japanese ukiyo-e master of poetic landscapes, known for atmospheric color gradations and evocative views of the Tōkaidō road and Edo.
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13. Odilon Redon
Symbolism
1840–1916 · born in Bordeaux, France · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
French Symbolist known for dreamlike noirs in charcoal and lithography, later evolving into luminous, colorful pastels inspired by Japanese art.
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14. Gustave Caillebotte
Impressionism
1848–1894 · born in Paris, France · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
French Impressionist known for precise urban geometry and photographic perspectives, capturing modern life through dramatic cropping and light.
- The Bridge at Argenteuil (1887)
- Apple Tree in Bloom (1885)
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15. Thomas Cole
Hudson River School
1801–1848 · born in Bolton, United Kingdom · 3 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Anglo-American founder of the Hudson River School, known for allegorical landscapes and the dramatic interplay of light and shadow in the wilderness.
- Castle and River
- The Pic-Nic (1846)
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16. Kitagawa Utamaro
Ukiyo-E
1753–1806 · born in Kawagoe, Japan · 3 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Japanese ukiyo-e master of bijin-ga, known for large-headed portraits of beautiful women with elongated features and delicate details.
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17. Édouard Vuillard
Post-Impressionism
1868–1940 · born in Cuiseaux, France · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
French Nabis painter of intimate, patterned interiors and flattened planes of color, often using distemper to capture domestic life.
- Young Woman in Bed (1894)
- Portrait of Thadée Natanson (1897)
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18. Charles-François Daubigny
Barbizon School
1817–1878 · born in Paris, France · 5 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
French Barbizon School painter of river landscapes, often captured from a floating studio boat to study shifting light and atmosphere.
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19. Thomas Couture
Academic Art
1815–1879 · born in Senlis, France · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
French Romantic and Realist painter of dramatic historical scenes and moral decadence, known for teaching Édouard Manet.
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20. John Singleton Copley
Neoclassicism
1738–1815 · born in Boston, United States · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Anglo-American realist known for precise textures of silk and metal in portraits and dramatic, modern historical scenes.
- Mrs. Alexander Cumming (1770)
- Mrs.William Eppes (1769)
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21. Benjamin West
Neoclassicism
1738–1820 · born in Springfield Township, United States · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
American-born Neoclassical painter and Royal Academy president known for revolutionary history scenes and dramatic, epic representations.
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22. Vasily Vereshchagin
Realism
1842–1904 · born in Cherepovets, Russia · 3 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Russian Realist and war artist known for visceral depictions of battlefield carnage and luminous Orientalist landscapes of Central Asia.
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23. George Bellows
Realism
1882–1925 · born in Columbus, United States · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
American realist of gritty urban life and high-energy boxing scenes, capturing the raw movement of city streets and smoky arenas.
- The Newsboy (1908)
- The Sand Cart (1917)
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French Belle Époque painter of elegant Parisian high society and detailed biblical narratives, known for his meticulous attention to fashion.
- Barrabbas (1894)
- The Adoration of the Shepherds (1894)
- The Descent from the Cross (1896)
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25. Giovanni Paolo Panini
Baroque
1691–1765 · born in Piacenza, Italy · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Italian Baroque vedutista of dramatic Roman ruins and architectural capriccios, known for precise perspective and the Panini Projection.
- Adoration of the Magi (1755)
- Adoration of the Shepherds (1755)
Famous artists in the Brooklyn Museum, No. 26 to 50
Gerrit Dou1613–1675 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Asher Brown Durand1796–1886 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
William Merritt Chase1849–1916 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Narcisse Virgilio Díaz1807–1876 · 4 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Jasper Francis Cropsey1823–1900 · 4 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Hendrik Willem Mesdag1831–1915 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
George Inness1825–1894 · 7 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
William Trost Richards1833–1905 · 6 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Thomas Doughty1793–1856 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Albert Pinkham Ryder1847–1917 · 4 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Corneille de Lyon1500–1575 · 10 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Utagawa Kunisada1786–1865 · 3 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
John La Farge1835–1910 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Charles Jacque1813–1894 · 3 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Elihu Vedder1836–1923 · 3 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Marsden Hartley1877–1943 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Edwin Lord Weeks1849–1903 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Max Weber1881–1961 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Henri Harpignies1819–1916 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
William Holbrook Beard1825–1900 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
James McDougal Hart1828–1901 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Eastman Johnson1824–1906 · 3 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Léon Augustin Lhermitte1844–1925 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Frank Duveneck1848–1919 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Miguel Cabrera1695–1768 · 2 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
The house in figures
The masters of the Brooklyn Museum, in figures
The masters with the most originals at the Brooklyn Museum
Masters with two originals or more, by century of birth
Masters with two originals or more, by country of birth
Masters with two originals or more, by movement
Women masters
The women whose originals hang in the Brooklyn Museum
11 women masters, 17 originals, in our catalogue of the Brooklyn Museum.
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Georgia O'Keeffe
1887–1986 · born in Sun Prairie, United States · 4 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Elizabeth Boott
1846–1888 · born in Boston, United States · 4 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
- Apple Blossoms (1882)
- Autumn Foliage (1882)
- Rhododendrons (1882)
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Mary Cassatt
1844–1926 · born in Allegheny, United States · 1 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
- The Bath (1891)
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Cecilia Beaux
1855–1942 · born in Philadelphia, United States · 1 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
- Mrs. Robert Abbe (1898)
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Lilly Martin Spencer
1822–1902 · born in Exeter, United Kingdom · 1 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
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Mary Moser
1744–1819 · born in London, United Kingdom · 1 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
- Flowers, Still Life (1780)
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Kate Greenaway
1846–1901 · born in London, United Kingdom · 1 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
- A Little Girl in a Muff (1880)
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Florine Stettheimer
1871–1944 · born in Rochester, United States · 1 originals at the Brooklyn Museum
- Heat (1919)
Asked of us
Questions on the masters of the Brooklyn Museum
Open a question to read the answer.
Who is the best-known artist of the Brooklyn Museum?
Claude Monet, with 5 works at the Brooklyn Museum in our catalogue (Fisherman`s House in Petit-Ailly, Vernon in the Sun and Islands at Port-Villez); then Eugène Delacroix and Gustave Courbet.
What did Claude Monet paint that hangs in the Brooklyn Museum?
5 works by Claude Monet at the Brooklyn Museum are in our catalogue: Fisherman`s House in Petit-Ailly (1882), Vernon in the Sun (1894), Islands at Port-Villez (1897) and Houses of Parlilament, Sunlight Effect (1901) among them.
How many Eugène Delacroix paintings are in the Brooklyn Museum?
3 works by Eugène Delacroix at the Brooklyn Museum are in our catalogue: The Supper at Emmaus (also known as The Pilgrims of Emmaus) (1853), Desdemona Cursed by her Father (Desdemona maudite par son père) (1850) and Lioness devouring a Rabbit among them.
Which Gustave Courbet works are in the Brooklyn Museum?
2 works by Gustave Courbet at the Brooklyn Museum are in our catalogue: The Edge of the Pool (1867) and The Silent River (1868) among them.
Which famous artists are displayed in the Brooklyn Museum?
By fame: Claude Monet (5), Eugène Delacroix (3), Gustave Courbet (2), Edgar Degas (4), William Blake (2), Jean-François Millet (2), Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (6), Georgia O'Keeffe (4), Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec (2) and Camille Pissarro (2).
Which artist has the most works in the Brooklyn Museum?
Our catalogue holds 10 works by Corneille de Lyon at the Brooklyn Museum; next come James Tissot (9), George Inness (7) and Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (6).
Does the Brooklyn Museum have any Leonardo da Vinci paintings?
No: the Brooklyn Museum holds no work by Leonardo da Vinci in our catalogue.
Are there Pablo Picasso works in the Brooklyn Museum?
No: the Brooklyn Museum holds no work by Pablo Picasso in our catalogue.
How many women artists are in the Brooklyn Museum?
Our catalogue lists 11 women artists with works at the Brooklyn Museum: Georgia O'Keeffe (4), Elizabeth Boott (4), Mary Cassatt (1), Cecilia Beaux (1), Lilly Martin Spencer (1) and Mary Moser (1).
Are the artists in the Brooklyn Museum mostly French, Italian or Dutch?
By country of birth, the artists with two works or more at the Brooklyn Museum are mostly from United States (26), France (19), Japan (4), United Kingdom (3) and Italy (3).
From which period are the artists of the Brooklyn Museum?
Most of the artists with two works or more at the Brooklyn Museum were born in the 19th century (45 artists); the earliest in this ranking is Giovanni Paolo Panini (1691–1765), the latest Georgia O'Keeffe (1887–1986).
How many artists does the collection of the Brooklyn Museum cover?
272 artists have at least one work of the Brooklyn Museum in our catalogue; 65 have two or more. They were born between 1373 and 1887, in 8 countries.
The house
The Brooklyn Museum, Brooklyn, in a few lines
Origins and History of Brooklyn Museum
The Brooklyn Museum began in 1823 as the Brooklyn Apprentices’ Library. This early iteration focused on providing accessible education through art to the local community. Following its establishment, the institution was formally incorporated on November 24, 1824. These foundational years established a commitment to public learning that would define the institution's trajectory for the next two centuries. In 1843, the organization merged with the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. This merger expanded the scope of the institution's activities and collections. For many decades, the Brooklyn Museum functioned as a subdivision of the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences. It maintained this structural relationship until the 1970s, when the various organizations within the Cultural Institutions Group became independent entities.
The Beaux-Arts Architecture and Building
The current structure was completed in March 1897. Designed by the firm McKim, Mead & White, the building is situated near Prospect Park. Its Beaux-Arts architecture is defined by a sense of permanence and classical proportion. The facade features Corinthian columns and intricate sculptures adorning the pediments. These architectural elements establish a formal presence within the Brooklyn landscape. Since its initial completion, the building has undergone several expansions to accommodate growing collections and changing institutional needs. The design provides a framework of spacious galleries that offer both grandeur and intimacy.
The famous originals of the Brooklyn MuseumThe Brooklyn Museum: the full page, 412 originalsThe museums of Brooklyn
How the masters of the originals are ranked
The masters with two originals or more of the Brooklyn Museum in our catalogue are ranked by fame: the Wikipedia language editions that describe them, the visits to their OriginalUniqueArt.com page and our studio's ranking. Originals are counted in our catalogue — one entry per work, without details, studies or copies — not in the museum's inventory. Every date, birthplace and movement is the catalogue's; the notes are drawn from the master's biography.
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