museums of art

museums of art, institutions or buildings where works of art are kept for display or safekeeping. The word museum derives from the Greek mouseion, meaning temple to the works of the Muses. This article is chiefly concerned with museums of art in the Western Hemisphere.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Middle East and Asia
• Continental Europe
• Great Britain and Ireland
• Canada and Mexico
• The United StatesNorth America

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2025, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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