Classical

Close up of a marble sculpture, National Gallery of Art

In 1937, a joint resolution of Congress accepted a magnanimous financial donation from industrial magnate and philanthropist Andrew Mellon and created the National Gallery of Art. Mellon, an avid art collector and connoisseur, promised his impressive collection to the United States and convinced many of his contemporaries to donate their collections. As a result, art from the collections of Armand Hammer, the Kress Family, Joseph Widener, Chester Dale, and many others is housed in this grand temple to classical painting and sculpture spanning many centuries.

Triptych: A Day at the Museum.
Visitor's enjoy the art of Mary Cassett and Vincent Van Gogh.
(Click on images to enlarge.)

The museum is not a part of the Smithsonian museum system, but it is, like its counterpart, a national treasure. The museum is made up of three components: the West Building, which houses classical art and was completed in 1941; the East Building, which houses modern and contemporary art and was completed in 1978; and a sculpture garden to the west of the original building, which opened in 1999. Like the Smithsonians, the NGA is free.

L: A painter recreates the work of an earlier artist.
R: My favorite painting in the entire museum: Albert Bierstadt's Lake Lucerne.

The West Building was designed by architect John Russell Pope. He was also the architect for the train station in Richmond, Virginia, the Scottish Rite 33' Supreme Council in Washington, and would later go on to design the Jefferson Memorial in the Tidal Basin. Visitors can see works from Renoir, Degas, Monet, Manet, Stuart, Cassett, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, and da Vinci, to name but a very few. The collections include 13th century Italian art all the way up to 19th century American art. If you want to see art that rivals some of Europe's finest collections, the National Gallery of Art is a must-see when you come to Washington.

The National Gallery of Art, West Building

Photo copyright: D.C. Confidential, 6/08