One of the other earlier trips I made was to the National Gallery of Art. So, as you will gather form several of the other touristy activities I’ve chosen to do, I really like art. The National Gallery has a beautiful collection, and an especially nice representation of Rococo. One of their current exhibitions, the Chester Dale Collection was really interesting as it brought many different eras of French painting to one location. I saw a Renoir I had never seen, which I really enjoyed. The National Gallery also is home to Picasso’s Family of Saltimbanques. A Saltimbanque is an “itinerant circus performer” who were a symbol of alienation of avant-garde artists. Interestingly, the painting serves as an autobiographical statement to Picasso, who is pictured in the painting along with his “circle” http://www.nga.gov/collection/gallery/20centpa/20centpa-46665.html It is interesting to me that, our National Art Gallery houses little American Art, which is in the Renwick Gallery. This however, is fine with me-as I'm not fond many American painters.
I also had lunch with a friend in the sculpture garden, which is home to this ridiculous eraser (pictured above). The garden cafe was surprisingly quiet and not jammed packed of tourists, nor was it super expensive-I think I paid $12 of a salmon salad? All of these factors made it a lovely lunch (especially the part about being at the National Gallery)
LM
Hello! Just wanted to let you know that the American art is actually at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, which displays its contemporary draft and decorative arts at its Renwick Gallery. The two buildings are about 10 blocks apart, so make sure you check our website before venturing out into the hot summer DC-day!
ReplyDeletehttp://americanart.si.edu
Best,
Mandy Young
Public Affairs
Smithsonian American Art Museum and Renwick Gallery
Thanks, Mandy Young. We love the Museum of American Art, too.
ReplyDeleteThe permanent collection at the National Gallery is Eurocentric because it was based on the fantastic collection of Andrew W. Mellon. Mellon was a Pittsburgh industrialist and banker who acquired a taste for the Old Masters. The National Gallery was built in the 1930s to accommodate his bequest.