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The museum is home to approximately 50,000 objects, including ancient Roman, Greek, and Egyptian bronzes; paintings from the Renaissance, Baroque, and French and American Impressionist eras, among others; 18th century FrenchThe French Republic or France ( French: Republique francaise or France is a country whose metropolitan territory is located in western Europe, and which is further made up of a collection of overseas islands and territories located in other continents. porcelainPorcelain is a type of hard semi-translucent ceramic fired at a higher temperature than glazed earthenware, or pottery. It is white, but mildly translucent and can be decorated to provide colour. Chinese Porcelain Chinese porcelain is made from a hard pass (including Meissen and SèvresSevres is a commune of the Hauts-de-Seine departement in France. It is a suburb of Paris. The Bureau International des Poids et Mesures (International Bureau of Weights and Measures) in Sevres keeps the standard kilogram, atomic clocks, and other metrolog); Hudson River SchoolThe Hudson River School was a 19th century American school of landscape painting related to Romanticism. The school got its name because the artists in this group first became known for paintings of the Hudson Valley and nearby areas. Hudson River School landscapes; early American clothingSee also List of types of clothing Introduction Humans often wear articles of clothing (also known as dress garments or attire on the body (for the alternative, see nudity). In its broadest sense, clothing includes coverings for the trunk and limbs as wel and decorationdoor from the Tibetan Namdroling monastery, southern India. Decoration may imply: an object or act intended to increase beauty of a person, room, etc. Interior decoration, the internal finishing of a building Something that is an honor to get: see List ofs; early African-American art and historical artifacts; and more. The collections span more than 5,000 years of world history.
The Wadsworth, as it is most commonly known, was constructed on the site of the family home of Daniel Wadsworth ( 1771- 1848) in the heart of downtown Hartford. Construction began in 1842 after the museum was incorporated on June 1 of that year. While "1842" can be seen clearly above the building's name above the front doors, the museum itself did not open until July 31, 1844. It has been operating continuously since then.
The Wadsworth family, being one of the oldest and most affluent in the city, contributed numerous valuable pieces of art to the museum to be displayed at the time the Atheneum opened. The first collection consisted of 78 paintings, two marble busts, one portrait miniature, and one bronze sculpture.
The Wadsworth has also been utilized since its beginning as a place for dramatic and dance performances, exhibits of historical artifacts, social functions, and benefits.