KRESS COLLECTION

Samuel H. Kress began his nationwide chain of “five and dime” stores in Memphis in 1896. After amassing a fortune and accumulating an extensive art collection, Kress donated the artwork to the National Gallery in Washington D.C. In 1961, six years after his death, portions of this collection were distributed to 18 museums and 23 universities across the United States which included Brooks Museum. The 27 paintings and 2 sculptures gifted to Brooks by the Kress Foundation have provided Memphis and the mid-south with an exceptional survey of artwork from the Sienese, Florentine, and Venetian schools, ranging from the 13th to the 18th century.