The Department of Contemporary Art features iconic works of international art from 1945 to the present.

One of the most comprehensive contemporary art collections in any encyclopedic museum, it comprises over 1,000 works, encompassing painting, sculpture, installation, and new media.

Some of the notable holdings include works by Willem de Kooning, Eva Hesse, Jasper Johns, Ellsworth Kelly, Joan Mitchell, Bruce Nauman, Jackson Pollock, Gerhard Richter, and Cy Twombly.