ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The collections of the Edward P. Taylor Library & Archives provide a research context for the collection, exhibitions and public programs of the Art Gallery of Ontario.

In addition to supporting general art research, the library’s 380,000+ volumes include rare books and artists’ books and multiples. Archival collections include the archives of the Art Gallery of Ontario and extensive special collections (artists’ archives and related collections).

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The AGO’s contemporary collection is actively transforming. Acquiring work from international artists since 1960 and Canadian artists since 1990, the collection includes painting, sculpture, immersive installation, works on paper, photography, performance, video and sound art.

Ken Thomson’s gift of his art collection – the most significant private art collection in Canada –  added 2,000 outstanding works to the Art Gallery of Ontario.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The AGO's Prints and Drawings collection comprises more than 20,000 prints, drawings, and watercolours, housing works on paper from the 1400s to the present day. The Prints and Drawings collection intersects with many of the AGO’s collecting areas, including European, Canadian, Inuit, Modern, Contemporary, and Photography.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The Art Gallery of Ontario is dedicated to building a collection of photographs that reflects the artistic, historical, and social impact of the medium. With over 70,000 objects, the collection spans the history of photography from the 1840s to the present day.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The AGO’s modern collection encompasses European and American art from 1900 to the 1960s. Forming the backbone of this collection are key gifts made by Sam and Ayala Zacks, the British sculptor Henry Moore, Angelicka and David Littlefield, and the AGO’s pioneering Women’s Committee.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

Comprised of painting and sculpture made in Europe between 1000 and 1900, the AGO’s European collection contains highlights from the Middle Ages to the Italian Renaissance and beyond.

Sculpture is a collection strength, with the Ken Thomson Collection of European Art representing the richest grouping of small scale sculpture in North America. Including a remarkable collection of ivory works made in France between 1200 and the 1400s, these pieces provide a glimpse into medieval artistic communities and production methods.

ABOUT THE COLLECTION

The AGO is home to an outstanding collection of Canadian art, with a particular emphasis on the art of Toronto and Ontario. The Canadian collection spans art from the earliest forms of human expression (that fall within current national boundaries) through to 1990.