Huntington guide: Essential artworks to plan your visit

The imposing Beaux-Arts mansion at the Huntington in San Marino, designed at the start of the 20th century by architects Myron Hunt and Elmer Grey, first opened to the public in 1928, just for a few weekday afternoon hours, following the deaths of founders Arabella and Henry E. Huntington. (They’re buried out on the lawn.) The railroad, shipbuilding and real estate tycoon (1850-1927) and his wife (1850-1924) were sometimes said to be America’s wealthiest couple, equivalent to billionaires today when their fortune is adjusted for inflation, and they had been spending lavishly on art for two decades. Their nonprofit was founded in 1919, partly to take advantage of brand new income tax deductions for charities, a government novelty lessening what was surely a hefty annual federal assessment, plus eventual estate taxes. For more than 30 years after it opened, their grand house-museum held the best art collection — by far — that the suburban Los Angeles public could see.

The Huntington’s Art Museum, once home to Henry and Arabella Huntington, boasts a large collection of European, American and East Asian art.

(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)

L.A. has seen various major art museums blossom since the 1960s, but the Huntington collection is still enormously impressive. The centerpiece is European paintings, sculptures and decorative arts — especially 18th century British and, secondarily, French — while American art claims maturing depth. (Chinese and Japanese art holdings are modest.) A 2021 acquisitions partnership with the Ahmanson Foundation is bringing major additions, so far including exceptional paintings by Francisco Goya and Thomas Cole.

What follows is a selection of 22 works, chosen from the mansion and the Virginia Scott Steele Galleries for American Art, a short walk away. (The art’s locations are noted as “M1” or “M2” for the mansion’s two floors, or “S” for the Steele.) Note, however, that this is most definitely not a “best of” list. Some works would surely turn up on such a selection, but the aim here is instead to give an idea of the diverse pleasures that will be found throughout the place. The list is in chronological order.