Washington Gallery Currents
Like London and Paris, Washington, D.C. is an earthly paradise for both art museum geeks and casual visitors alike. The overwhelming challenge is deciding which treasure trove to visit. You must decide among such wonderful gallery possibilities as the Hirschhorn, Freer, Sackler, Corcoran and numerous other public and private collections within the compact 60 square miles that is Washington . To quench a thirst for incomparable expressions of beauty, culture and history and to satisfy international tastes, starting a D.C. art tour at the National Gallery of Art is a must.
The National Gallery is housed on the National Mall in two buildings of strikingly different architectural styles –works of art by themselves. The open-air Sculpture Garden was added in 1999 to provide a venue for larger works and temporary exhibitions. The original, neo-classical West Building, dedicated in 1941, was joined by the modern, I.M. Pei-designed East Building in 1978. The complex offers paintings and sculpture dating from the Middle Ages to the present. Both venues offer collections owned by the National Gallery as well as exhibitions loaned from other collections around the world. In planning your trip, check ahead for available rooms at the best washington hotels and to see what special treasures await you.
Current exhibitions in the East Building include Spanish paintings and sculptures from 1600-1700 (through May 31) and the abstract expressionism of Mark Rothko (until January 2011). The Sculpture Garden, surrounding a central fountain that serves as a skating rink in winter, includes 17 works from the national collection as well as loaned works.
Beginning with the Mellon collection and his endowment of a new building, the National Gallery has been the beneficiary of numerous gifts from collectors. Paintings and sculptures in the permanent collections include the works of Botticelli, da Vinci, Durer, Rembrandt, Goya, Delacroix, Rodin, Degas, Monet, Van Gogh and many more familiar to anyone who has enjoyed exposure to art history. Works from the Chester Dale collection, bequeathed in 1962 and covering impressionism to modernism, are on exhibit until July 31, 2011 in the West Building.
Cafes and comfort stations are generously available in the museum complex along with free cultural enrichment. This is your National Gallery. Enjoy!
Related posts:
- Sloths and Diamonds in Washington DC
- Art in Singapore
- Sunny Spain
- Hong Kong’s Hanart T Z Gallery
- The Garden of Saheliyon Ki Bari, Udaipur, India