National Gallery of Art

Washington, D.C., United States

The National Gallery of Art, and its attached Sculpture Garden, is one of the largest museums in North America. Open to the public and free of charge, the museum was privately established in 1937 for the American people by a joint resolution of the United States Congress. Andrew W. Mellon donated a substantial art collection and funds for construction.

The Gallery's collection of paintings, drawings, prints, photographs, sculpture, medals, and decorative arts traces the development of Western Art from the Middle Ages to the present, including the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas and the largest mobile created by Alexander Calder.

The Gallery's campus includes the original neoclassical West Building designed by John Russell Pope, which is linked underground to the modern East Building, designed by I. M. Pei, and the Sculpture Garden. The Gallery often presents temporary special exhibitions spanning the world and the history of art.

The gallery has one of the finest art collections in the world. It was created for the people of the United States of America by a joint resolution of Congress accepting the gift of financier, public servant, and art collector Andrew W. Mellon in 1937. European and American paintings, sculpture, works on paper, photographs, and decorative arts are displayed in the collection galleries and Sculpture Garden. The permanent collection of paintings spans from the Middle Ages to the present day. The strongest collection is the Italian Renaissance collection, which includes two panels from Duccio's Maesta, the great tondo of the Adoration of the Magi by Fra Angelico and Filippo Lippi, a Botticelli on the same subject, Giorgione's Allendale Nativity, Giovanni Bellini's The Feast of the Gods, the only Leonardo da Vinci painting in the Americas (Ginevra de' Benci) and significant groups of works by Titian and Raphael.

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Founded: 1937
Category: Museums in United States

More Information

en.wikipedia.org
www.nga.gov

Rating

4.8/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

Chad Goyette (5 years ago)
Excellent art gallery that allows close up views of some excellent pieces of work. Came here on a school field trip and realized that it is much safer to stand with the kids so they don’t touch any of the paintings.
Christopher McClain (6 years ago)
An absolutely amazing collection of art covering many different styles and ages. It is truly breath taking to see so many great article works in one place and all for free. It will take a couple of visits to see everything. Also have special exhibits and wonderful giftshops. The cafeteria is very tasty and offers a nice selection of food.
Krizia Berg (6 years ago)
Stunning. The building itself is a work of art! Definitely a must see for tourists. They have a truly massive collection of pre-modern artwork with a smaller selection of contemporary pieces in rotating exhibits. I wish I lived closer so I could spend more time here! We weren't able to see the whole place because it's so large. We'll definitely come back the next time we visit D.C.
Dina Morrison (6 years ago)
Lovely museum, helpful staff. I especially like a museum that has coat check, nothing more annoying than having to lug around heavy and/or wet coats. The Gordon Parks exhibit was very well done. I was happy to see so many items of his represented. The impressionist exhibit was also wonderful. I would have liked to see more but had a plane to catch.
SL Tang (6 years ago)
This is a definite National Treasure you don't want to miss. The walking tour organized is helpful for people to gain insight into the highlights of the gallery. I think they try to promote purchase of the reproduction printouts as well sold in the gallery shop. The reproduction printout is nowhere near the actual masterpiece of course but if you're keen to get one as souvenir, check them out in the souvenir shop. Recommend to spend at least 3 hours here to see all the exhibits.
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