Krebs Center for the Humanities

The Krebs collection

Lake Forest College Trustee Rob Krebs and his wife Anne spent many years visiting Europe, especially Italy, a country that has continually inspired their interest in art collecting. They amassed a stunning collection of medieval and early modern objects, reflecting a wide range of different media and origins. In addition to the focus on early modern European and Asian objects, the collection has a secondary focus on modern paintings, especially landscapes.  

European objects from the late Middle Ages and the early modern period constitute the core of the Krebs Center collection. These include paintings, sculpture, furniture, tapestry, and metalwork. Paintings from the Italian Renaissance and slightly later periods adorn many of the public rooms of the house, with the Madonna and Child (or Holy Family) a dominant theme. Greek and Russian icons constitute another area of focus. In addition, sculptural objects continue the religious theme in works made of marble, bronze, clay and other materials; many of these represent figures from the ancient world: gods, goddesses, and heroes. Renaissance and early modern furniture—chairs, tables, chests, etc.—fill the living spaces as well. 

Anne and Rob first began their collecting activity with American landscape paintings of the 20th century, and these works are represented in the collection. Because they previously lived in the Western half of the US, many of these paintings by American landscape artists record views of the West. In the house's bedrooms, a visitor will encounter vistas of Venice or Tuscany alongside images of American landscapes of rivers, farms, and forests. The collection also includes works from Asia, including statues of the Buddha, ceramics from Japan, and several works from Turkey, among others.