Located in downtown Washington, USA, the National Gallery of Art has collected and exhibited approximately 141,000 paintings, prints and sculptures spanning the period from the Middle Ages to the present day.
No wonder this collection is considered one of the best in the world, and the gallery itself is one of the ten most visited places in the US.
History of occurrence
At the beginning of the last century, the banker and politician Andrew Mellon began to collect a collection of unique works of art. He himself preferred the work of the masters of the early Middle Ages, but being a true collector, he recognized the value of the works of his contemporaries.
Quite an impressive part of the collected collection were masterpieces from the Russian Hermitage, which were put up for auction by the government of the USSR. The politician was not looking for masterpieces for his own sake, he dreamed of creating a full-fledged Nationalan art gallery that allows any citizen to get acquainted with the creations of geniuses.
Negotiations to establish a gallery began in 1934. And after the death of the patron, in 1937, the United States Congress decided to create the National Gallery of Art. The core of the exposition was sculptures and canvases donated by Mellon to his country.
Since then, a tradition has arisen among private collectors to donate items from their collections to the Gallery's funds. Among the permanent sponsors are such people as Chester Dale, Lessing J. Rosenwald, Paul Mellon and many other famous people. Some masterpieces were transmitted anonymously.
Gallery West Wing
Today, the National Gallery of Art occupies two majestic buildings at once, between which there is an underground passage with cozy cafes and souvenir shops. One of the distinguishing features of the interior decoration of the gallery was the transition device: unusual light and strange passage lines.
The west wing, designed by architect John Russell Pope, is made in the neoclassical style that was fashionable in the middle of the last century. Its construction was completed in 1941, and at that time it was the most magnificent marble structure in the world.
The facade of the building is decorated with massive snow-white columns and an elegant dome, reminiscent of the buildings of Ancient Greece.
In the spacious halls of the building there is an excellent collection of works by Italian Renaissance masters, including the onlythe American continent a painting by Leonardo da Vinci. Here you can see the works of such famous masters as Van Gogh, Monet and Rembrandt. And the real pride of the gallery is the famous painting "The Last Supper" by Salvador Dali.
East side
A few decades after the opening of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the area of its building began to be sorely lacking. The exposition of masterpieces of painting and sculpture was constantly replenished, and the question arose of expanding the museum.
A significant part of the funds for the construction of the east wing came from the children of the founder of the gallery, who, after the death of their father, became benefactors of the museum.
The construction of the building, which was supposed to be a fine example of modern architecture, was started in 1970. And 8 years later, on June 1, 1978, the new wing of the National Gallery of Art was inaugurated by the President of the United States.
It was originally planned to place the works of geniuses of the 20th century and recognized creators of our time. Away from the eyes of visitors, the east wing houses the teaching and research centers and the main office of the gallery.
Gallery display
Most visitors are sure that it is unrealistic to see all the sculptures and paintings in the National Gallery of Art in Washington in one visit. Therefore, it is better to decide in advance on the topic of the work that you would like to get acquainted with.
List all the treasuresshown in the gallery is not possible. So, in the western wing there are such masterpieces as "Saint George" and "Madonna Alba" by Raphael, "Adoration of the Magi" by Botticelli, "Venus in front of a mirror" by Titian. In the neighboring rooms, the canvases of Donatello, Verrochio, Rubens, Van Dyck, Constable, Hals and El Greco are striking.
Stepping into the new east wing of the National Gallery of Art, visitors can experience the work of Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Edouard Monet and many other world-famous artists.
Because the work of the gallery is funded by the US Congress and private philanthropists, admission is free. Therefore, if time permits, you can schedule several visits to view the entire exhibition.
Sculpture Garden
Most recently, in 1999, an amazing Sculpture Garden was opened next to the National Gallery of Art, housing the work of many talented sculptors of our time. Works by Joan Miro, Louis Bourgeois, Roy Lichtenstein, Hector Guimard and many other authors are located on an area of approximately 25,000 square meters.
A beautiful well-groomed park is laid out on the territory of the Sculpture Garden. In the center, jets beat from a huge fountain, decorated with marble. With the onset of winter, the fountain is turned into a public skating rink, popular among the city's residents. It is so beautiful here that visitors are not embarrassed that they will have to pay about 6 dollars for pleasure on the ice.
Features of the gallery
Finding the museum's buildings will not be difficult, they are conveniently located near three of Washington's most visited attractions: the White House, the Capitol and the George Washington Monument. Also nearby are the main buildings of the famous Smithsonian Institution, with which the gallery maintains close cooperation.
National Gallery of Art Address: Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20565.
The doors of the museum are open to visitors every day except December 25 and January 1.
When visiting the gallery for the first time, it is surprising that in many halls there are easels with drawing accessories and everyone can try to copy the canvas they like. Surprisingly, there are usually few visitors in the halls of the gallery, so you can not be afraid of the fuss.
And for guests who are tired of impressions, benches are installed in the halls and on the territory of the Sculpture Garden, where you can relax and admire the masterpieces with pleasure.
