The St. Louis Mercantile Library has, since its founding, considered art as essential to accomplishing its educational and cultural mission. Inspired by its first exhibited work of art – a painting lent by Charles Deas – the Library has developed a significant permanent collection of paintings, prints, drawings, sculpture, decorative arts and folk art. These works relate to and complement the Library’s archival and manuscript holdings by providing visual documentation of the physical and cultural development of our city, state, and nation.
The painting collection includes works ranging in date from 1800 to the present day. These works are primarily landscapes and portraits by Missouri artists.
The St. Louis Mercantile Art Museum holds an extensive collection of American historic and modern prints, fine art photographs, and drawings by Missouri artists.