About 141, 000 paintings, prints and sculptures from the Middle Ages to the present day are collected and exhibited at the National Gallery of Art, located in central Washington, USA.
It is not surprising that this collection is considered one of the best in the world, and the gallery itself is among the ten most visited places in the United States.
History of occurrence
At the beginning of the last century, banker and politician Andrew Mellon began to collect a collection of unique works of art. He himself preferred the work of masters of the early Middle Ages, but being a true collector, he recognized the value and work of contemporaries.
A rather impressive part of the collection was made up of masterpieces from the Russian Hermitage, which were put up for auction by the USSR government. The politician was not looking for masterpieces for his own sake, he dreamed of creating a full-fledged National Gallery of Art in the country, allowing any citizen to get acquainted with the creations of geniuses.
Negotiations on the creation of the gallery began in 1934. And after the patron’s death, in 1937, the United States Congress decided to create the National Gallery of Art. The core of the exhibition were sculptures and paintings, donated by Mellon as a gift to his country.
Since then, among private collectors, a tradition has arisen to give objects from their collections to the Gallery's funds. Among the regular sponsors are people like Chester Dale, Lessing J. Rosenwald, Paul Mellon and many other famous people. Some masterpieces were transmitted anonymously.
Gallery West Wing
Nowadays, the National Gallery of Art occupies two magnificent buildings at once, between which an underground passage with cozy cafes and souvenir shops stretches. One of the hallmarks of the interior of the gallery was the transition device: unusual light and strange passage lines.
The western wing, designed by architect John Russell Pope, was designed in a neoclassical style, fashionable in the middle of the last century. Its construction was completed in 1941, and for 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 masters of the Italian Renaissance, including the only canvas by Leonardo da Vinci on the entire American continent. Here you can see the work of such famous masters as Van Gogh, Monet and Rembrandt. And the true pride of the gallery is the famous painting "The Last Supper" by Salvador Dali.
Eastern
A few decades after the opening of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, the area of its building was sorely lacking. The expositions of masterpieces of painting and sculpture were 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 his father, became benefactors of the museum.
The construction of the building, which was supposed to be an excellent example of modern architecture, was begun in 1970. And after 8 years, on June 1, 1978, the new president of the United States solemnly opened the new wing of the National Gallery of Art.
It was originally planned to arrange the work of the geniuses of the XX century and recognized creators of our time. Far from the eyes of visitors in the east wing are educational and research centers, and the main office of the gallery.
Gallery exposition
Most visitors are confident that in one visit to inspect all the sculptures and paintings in the National Gallery of Art in Washington is unrealistic. Therefore, it is better to decide in advance on the topic of work that I would like to get to know.
It is impossible to list all the treasures presented in the gallery. So, in the western wing are placed such masterpieces as "St. George" and "Madonna Alba" by Raphael, "Adoration of the Magi" Botticelli, "Venus in front of the mirror" by Titian. In the neighboring rooms, the paintings of Donatello, Verrocio, Rubens, Van Dyck, Constable, Hals and El Greco are striking.
Moving to the new eastern wing of the National Gallery of Art, visitors can get acquainted with the works of Pablo Picasso, Paul Gauguin, Eduard Monet and many other world-famous creators.
Due to the fact that the gallery is funded by the US Congress and private philanthropists, it is free to visit. Therefore, if time permits, you can plan several visits to inspect the entire exhibition.
Sculpture garden
More recently, in 1999, next to the National Gallery of Art, an amazing Sculpture Garden was opened, containing the work of many talented sculptors of our time. On an area of approximately 25 thousand square meters are the works of Joan Miró, Louis Bourgeois, Roy Lichtenstein, Hector Guimard and many other authors.
On the territory of the Garden of Sculptures there is a beautiful manicured park. In the center, jets from a huge fountain decorated with marble beat. With the onset of winter, the fountain is turned into a public ice rink, popular among residents of the city. It is so beautiful that visitors are not confused that you will have to pay about $ 6 for pleasure on ice.
