ABOUT THE COLLECTION

AGO’s collection features more than 120, 000 works, ranging from cutting-edge contemporary art such as Yayoi Kusama’s INFINITY MIRRORED ROOM - LET’S SURVIVE FOREVER to European masterpieces such as Peter Paul Rubens’s The Massacre of The Innocents. Our works by established and emerging Indigenous Canadian artists shines against our vast collection by the Group of Seven. Our photography collection tracks the impact of the medium with deep holdings of works by artists such as Garry Winogrand and Diane Arbus, and our focused collections in Gothic boxwood miniatures and Western and Central African art round out our multifaceted collected works. 

COLLECTION AREAS

Munn's Cows on a Hillside

Canadian Art

We have an outstanding collection of historical Canadian art, with an emphasis on the art of Toronto and Ontario. 

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belmore's rising to the occasion

Indigenous

Indigenous art at the AGO currently includes works from First Nations, Inuit, and Metis as well as global Indigenous Art from Africa, Australia, and the Torres Strait Islands.

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Rubens, The Massacre of the Innocents

European

The European art collection showcases works from the Middle Ages to the early 1900s, created in Europe or influenced by its artistic traditions.

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Otto Dix's portrait of Dr. Heinrich Stadelmann

Modern

The Modern Art Collection offers visitors a comprehensive experience of American and European art from 1900 to 1960.

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Hatoum's Socle du Monde

Contemporary

The Contemporary collection includes painting, sculpture, immersive installation, works on paper, photography, performance, video and sound art from international artists since 1960 and Canadian artists since 1990.

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el machete by tina modotti

Photography

The collection spans the history of the medium from the 1840s to the present day, and includes more than 70,000 works.

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Duhrer's Adam and Eve

Prints & Drawings

Our Prints and Drawings Collection spans the entire history of works on paper in the West from the 1400s to the present day, and intersects with all other collecting areas.

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the book of job

Library & Archives

The library’s 380,000+ volumes include Rare Books and Artists’ Books ranging from folios and art historical books from the 17th century to the present, illustrated books and magazines, travel guides, art sales catalogues, and artists’ books and multiples.

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Henry Moore, Draped Reclining Woman, plaster sculpture

Henry Moore Sculpture Centre

Home to the largest public collection of Henry Moore artworks in the world, the Centre was designed in tandem with the artist to showcase rare original plasters, maquettes, drawings and bronzes.

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Explore Our Highlights Audio Tour - Bloomberg

person wearing headphones looking at Marchesa Casati painting

Explore Our Highlights Audio Tour

Take a bite-sized highlights tour of our AGO collection works, ranging from the 1600s to the 2020s, through the gallery at your own pace. 

Download the Bloomberg Connects app to access audio, video, and behind-the-scenes content. Available in 40 languages, navigate using our interactive map and dive into current exhibitions.

Start Exploring

COLLECTIONS IN FOCUS

a boxwood bead

The Boxwood Project

Explore stunning gothic boxwood miniature carvings that have captured the imaginations of their owners and viewers for almost 500 years.

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an old photograph of a ship on the water

Malcolmson Collection

The Malcolmson Collection spans the history of photography from the 1840s, and includes representative photographs from each of the significant periods and styles of the history of the medium.

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J.E.H. MacDonald. Tangled Bush, Algoma

The Group of Seven

The Group of Seven has been a foundational part of the AGO since 1920, when the museum hosted their inaugural exhibition. Signature works are located on Level 1 and in the Thomson Collection of Canadian Art on Level 2. 

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Spanish, Painted frame. 1600s. Wood with polychromy and gilding.

Historic Picture Frames at the AGO

The Art Gallery of Ontario is home to a collection of over 1,000 picture frames, dating from the late 1400s to the late 1800s. The frames were given to the museum by an anonymous donor in the 1990s. 

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The J.S. McLean Centre for Indigenous & Canadian Art

AGO Catalogue

Our Curators

Exhibitions and research at the AGO are led in part by members of the AGO’s curatorial team. They bring a breadth of expertise and perspective, shaping how artworks are interpreted, and experienced, while fostering deeper connections between audiences and the Gallery’s diverse and evolving collection.

MEET OUR CURATORS

Art Rate Monitor - learn more

COLLECTION RESOURCES

Marvin Gelber Print & Drawing Study Centre

Marvin Gelber Print & Drawing Study Centre

This state-of-the-art facility is open to the public and dedicated to the study of prints, drawings and photographs. It houses a collection of over 70,000 works which date from the 13th century to the present day. Find out more about the AGO's prints and drawings collection.

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a lady wearing a dress and monocle

Image Licensing

Find the image you need from the Art Gallery of Ontario, one of the most distinguished art museums in North America. AGO Images licenses to scholarly and commercial clients worldwide. Be inspired by Tom Thomson, James Tissot, Kennth Noland, Walter Trier and many more amazing artists.

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artworks from the AGO collection in Fudger Rotunda gallery

Requests for Loans

The Art Gallery of Ontario is committed to broadening access to its collections and supporting educational initiatives that promote a new understanding of art, through a program of outgoing loans. 

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Conservation team and curators examining an artwork

Conservation at the AGO

Conservation is the care and protection of cultural objects. As the caretakers of collections, conservators examine, research, clean and repair artworks, while also taking action to prevent future deterioration. Here at the AGO, the Conservation Team includes conservators, mat makers, framers and mount makers. These specialists work together to ensure each work will look its best not only for today, but also for generations to come.

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Jan Asselijn, Landscape with Ancient Ruins

Provenance Research Project

The AGO is committed to investigating the provenance of works in its permanent collection, particularly as it pertains the ownership history of European painting and sculpture during the 1933–45 period. The purpose of this is to increase awareness and understanding of the spoliation of works of art by the Nazis and others.

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a number of objects on display

The AGO's Deaccessioning Policy

The Art Gallery of Ontario cares for its collections according to the highest standards. Its resources should only be devoted to works of art that serve its mission and are worthy of such care. This occasionally demands that works be judiciously and carefully deaccessioned from the collections. The proceeds from this are reinvested in new works of art.

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O'Brien's the Ocean's Bride

Artefacts Canada

Thanks to the important contribution of this country's heritage institutions, the Artefacts Canada database contains close to 4 million object records and approximately 800,000 images from Canadian museums.

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