"Head of a Woman" by Pablo Picasso stands on the lawn in front of Spelman Halls. The artist's piece, constructed of folded and painted sheet metal, was only slightly larger than one foot high. Princeton's concrete version, nearly 16 feet high, was assembled by Norwegian artist Carl Nesjar, who served as an intermediary between Picasso and the Putnam Collection. (Executed by Carl Nesjar, designed by Pablo Picasso "Head of a Woman" Designed 1962, executed 1971 © 1962, Pablo Picasso). Photo: Brian Wilson
At the core of the collection are works assembled for the John B. Putnam Jr. Memorial Collection, an anonymous gift in honor of a member of Princeton's Class of 1945 who died in World War II. New works have been added over the years to reflect the visions of artists past and present.
In addition to sculpture, the campus collections include a variety of media — from the portraits of historic Princeton leaders in the Faculty Room at Nassau Hall to the contemporary mural in the commons of Butler College and the shimmering mosaics behind the stage in Richardson Auditorium at Alexander Hall.
Spread across the campus, these public works of art reflect the University's — and the nation's — history, telling the story of great movements in art, science and politics through the individuals depicted and the ideas expressed.
The Princeton University Art Museum has developed Campus Art at Princeton, a website and self-guided mobile tour that provides users with a new level of access to this extraordinary collections through interactive maps, images and audio recordings.