National Gallery of Art

National Gallery of Art
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Name	National Gallery of Art
Established	1937
Location	National Mall, Washington, D.C.
Type	Art museum
Director	Kaywin Feldman
President	Mitchell Rales

National Gallery of Art is a national art museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C.. Established in 1937 through a joint resolution of the United States Congress, its founding gift came from financier and public servant Andrew W. Mellon. The museum's expansive collections span from the Middle Ages to the present, offering free admission to the public and serving as a center for research and education in the visual arts.

History

The museum's creation was catalyzed by Andrew W. Mellon, who in 1936 pledged his formidable collection of Old Master paintings and sculpture to the nation, alongside funds for a building. This gift was formally accepted by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and the cornerstone for the original building was laid in 1937. The institution opened to the public in 1941, with early leadership provided by its first director, David E. Finley. Subsequent major donations, such as the collection of Samuel H. Kress and the bequest of Chester Dale, dramatically expanded its holdings. The museum's growth continued with the 1978 completion of the East Building, made possible by a gift from Paul Mellon, and the 1999 opening of the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden.

Collections

The permanent collection is divided between two main buildings. The West Building houses European and American art from the 13th to early 20th centuries, featuring masterpieces by Leonardo da Vinci, Rembrandt, Johannes Vermeer, and Claude Monet. It holds the only painting by Leonardo da Vinci in the Americas, the Ginevra de' Benci, and significant works by Vincent van Gogh and J.M.W. Turner. The East Building focuses on modern and contemporary art, with major holdings of Pablo Picasso, Henri Matisse, Jackson Pollock, and Mark Rothko. The collection also includes substantial works on paper, photography, and a renowned sculpture garden featuring pieces by Louise Bourgeois and Roy Lichtenstein.

Architecture

The campus comprises three primary structures. The original West Building, designed by architect John Russell Pope in a Neoclassical style, is constructed of pink Tennessee marble and features a grand rotunda and colonnades. The modernist East Building, designed by I. M. Pei, is noted for its dramatic geometric form of trapezoidal shapes and a soaring atrium, constructed with the same Tennessee marble. The National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, designed by Laurie Olin, provides a six-acre landscaped setting for large-scale contemporary sculptures adjacent to the National Mall.

Governance and funding

The museum operates as a public-private partnership. While its buildings and grounds are federally owned and maintained by the United States government, its collections, operations, and major capital projects are funded through private donations and an endowment managed by the museum's board of trustees. The board includes notable figures from the private sector, such as president Mitchell Rales. Day-to-day administration is led by the director, a position held since 2019 by Kaywin Feldman, previously director of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. Key support organizations include the National Gallery of Art Patrons' Permanent Fund.

Notable exhibitions and programs

The museum has organized numerous landmark exhibitions, such as the 1963 Mona Lisa exhibition, the 1976 Treasures of Tutankhamun, and more recent shows like Van Gogh's Van Goghs. Its robust program includes the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, a premier research institute, and the National Gallery of Art Lectures. The museum also runs extensive educational outreach, film programs, and musical performances, and it maintains a pivotal role in national art scholarship through its publication of the Studies in the History of Art series.

Category:Art museums and galleries in Washington, D.C. Category:National Mall Category:Museums established in 1937