,,brief ,,guide ,national ,gallery of ,art ,history and ,description ,the ,national ,gallery of ,art belongs to all the people of the ,united ,states of ,america4 ,established by a joint resolution of ,congress1 it is supported by public appropriation4 ,the ,board of ,trustees consists of four public servants1 ex officio1 and five private citizens4 ,chairman of the ,board is the ,chief ,justice of the ,united ,states4 ,under the policies set by the ,board1 the ,gallery assembles and maintains a collection of paintings1 sculpture1 and the graphic arts1 representative of the best in the artistic heritage of ,america and ,europe4 ,supported in its daily operations by ,federal funds1 the ,gallery is entirely dependent on the generosity of private citizens for the works of art in its collections4 ,funds for the construction of the original building were provided by ,the ,a4 ,w4 ,mellon ,educational and ,charitable ,trust4 ,during the #aibjs1 ,mr4 ,mellon began to collect with the intention of forming a national gallery of art in ,washington4 ,his collection was given to the nation in #aicg1 the year of his death4 ,in #aida1 ,president ,franklin ,d4 ,roosevelt accepted the completed ,gallery on behalf of the people of the ,united ,states of ,america4 ,architect for the ,national ,gallery was ,john ,russell ,pope1 who also designed the ,jefferson ,memorial and other outstanding public buildings in ,washington4 ,the building is one of the largest marble structures in the world1 measuring #ghj feet in length and containing more than #ejj1jjj square feet of interior floor space4 ,the exterior is of rose-white ,tennessee marble4 ,the columns in the ,rotunda were quarried in ,tuscany1 ,italy4 ,green marble from ,vermont and gray marble from ,tennessee were used for the floor of the ,rotunda4 ,the interior walls are of ,alabama ,rockwood stone1 ,indiana limestone1 and ,italian travertine4 ,the entire building is air-conditioned and humidity-controlled throughout the year to maintain the optimum atmospheric conditions for the works of art it contains4 ,the original building is no longer large enough to accommodate the ,gallery's acquisitions and interpretive art programs4 ,a second building1 presently under construction1 will house new exhibition galleries and a ,center for ,advanced ,study in the ,visual ,arts4 ,the two buildings will be connected by a plaza above ground and by a concourse of public service areas1 including a new caf_/buffet1 below4 ,the new construction has been made possible by generous gifts from ,mr4 ,paul ,mellon1 the late ,ailsa ,mellon ,bruce1 and the ,andrew ,w4 ,mellon ,foundation4 ,,the ,,collections #c ,florentine and ,central ,italian ,art #f ,venetian and ,north ,italian ,art #h ,italian ,art of the #agth and #ahth ,centuries #aj ,flemish and ,german ,art #ac ,dutch ,art #ae ,spanish ,art #af ,french ,art of the #agth1 #ahth1 and ,early #aith ,centuries #ai ,british ,art #ba ,american ,art #bd ,french ,art of the #aith ,century #bh #bjth-,century ,art #cj ,decorative ,arts #cj ,prints and ,drawings #ca ,index of ,american ,design ,about the ,works of ,art ,listed in this ,brochure ,owing to changes in installation1 certain works of art listed in this brochure may not always be on view4 ,for up-to-date information1 please inquire at the information desks4 ,the paintings and sculpture given by the founder1 ,andrew ,w4 ,mellon1 comprising works by the greatest masters from the thirteenth to the nineteenth century1 have formed a nucleus of high quality around which the collection has grown4 ,indeed1 in making his gift ,mr4 ,mellon had expressed the hope that the newly established ,national ,gallery would attract gifts from other collectors1 so that these works of art might be enjoyed by all and would be a lasting contribution to the cultural life of the nation4 ,mr4 ,mellon's hope that others would carry on the work was realized1 even before the ,gallery opened1 by the action of ,samuel ,h4 ,kress1 who gave to the nation his great collection of paintings and sculptures of the ,italian schools ranging from the thirteenth to the eighteenth centuries4 ,enlarging and enriching the ,kress ,collection on subsequent occasions1 ,samuel ,h4 ,kress and his brother ,rush ,h4 ,kress made the ,national ,gallery outstanding for its representation of ,italian art and also added a distinguished group of ,french eighteenth-century canvases and sculpture and fine examples of early ,german paintings1 as well as works of first importance from other schools4 ,in #aidb ,joseph ,e4 ,widener gave the famous collection of painting1 sculpture1 and decorative arts formed by him and his father ,p4,a4,b4 ,widener4 ,chester ,dale1 besides making numerous gifts during his lifetime1 bequeathed his extensive collection of nineteenth- and twentieth-century ,french paintings to the ,gallery4 ,ailsa ,mellon ,bruce also bequeathed her collection of ,french paintings to the ,gallery and1 in addition1 generously provided funds for the purchase of many old master paintings1 including the ,leonardo da ,vinci4 ,lessing ,j4 ,rosenwald has given over #bj1jjj prints and drawings4 ,in addition1 more than #cbe other donors have generously added to the collections of the ,national ,gallery of ,art4 ,illustration3 ,,rotunda3 ,attributed to ,adriaen de ,vries1 ,mercury1 cast probably c4 #afjc-afac ,the vigorous movement1 muscular lines1 and above all the grace and lightness of the bronze figure capture in this ,mercury the fleeting presence of an ancient god4 ,protector of the forlorn and travel weary1 patron of shepherds1 merchants1 wayfarers1 and even thieves fleeing the law1 ,mercury was the bearer of news and tidings for the gods of mythology4 ,he was known by his winged feet1 a traveler's cap with wings1 and his herald's staff1 a caduceus1 perhaps given him by ,apollo1 who had the power of healing4 ,the design of ,mercury's caduceus with its two serpents intertwined has been traditionally associated with medicine and is the adopted symbol of the medical profession4 ,this masterful piece was probably made by ,adriaen de ,vries1 a ,dutch artist trained in ,italy1 and was modeled after a ,mercury completed twenty years earlier by ,giovanni ,bologna4 ,florentine and ,central ,italian ,art 7,galleries #a-aj7 ,because the ,church defined much of the social and cultural structure of medieval life1 ,christian themes predominated as the subject matter for the arts of the period4 ,in the ,national ,gallery collections1 works created in ,florence1 ,siena1 ,rome1 and ,central ,italy show the range of skills and styles prevalent in painting as it progressed from the highly religious art of the ,middle ,ages to the more secular art of the ,renaissance4 ,the usual technique for medieval religious art was egg tempera on wood panels covered with a fine bone plaster1 called gesso4 ,egg yolk mixed with powdered pigments was applied to the gesso surface resulting in pictures characterized by bright colors and clear outer contours4 ,to recall the radiant light of the heavenly kingdom and to heighten the patterns typifying this art1 the artist often used gold-leafed grounds as well4 ,by the late fifteenth century1 tempera gave way to oil paints that dried more slowly1 permitting the artist subtle modulations in his color and allowing him to create realistic atmospheric effects4 ,as the ,renaissance progressed1 artists combined a renewed interest in nature1 analytical science1 and classical humanism with the recently developed techniques in media to bring about a corresponding realism in art4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #a3 ,byzantine ,school1 ,enthroned ,madonna and ,child1 #acth century ,a medieval walled city is transformed into a throne by this imaginative1 unknown artist to symbolize the dominance of ,christ and ,mary1 ,queen of ,heaven1 over the celestial city4 ,to symbolize ,christ's rule on earth as well1 the artist included1 in the rondels1 images of angels bearing orbs and scepters4 ,so typical of the art of the ,byzantine ,empire1 this painting is an icon1 or holy image1 and reflects within its composition a fusion of ancient ,roman and medieval ,oriental styles4 ,a feeling for classical solidity shows in the faces1 which are modeled with cast shadows to suggest three-dimensional forms1 whereas a ,near ,eastern love of decoration accounts for the flattened drapery patterns and their dazzling highlights4 ,the ,enthroned ,madonna and ,child and another large ,byzantine icon of the same subject1 also in this room1 are among the earliest paintings in the collection4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #c3 ,duccio1 ,the ,calling of the ,apostles ,peter and ,andrew1 painted between #acjh and #acaa ,called to be 8fishers of men10 the brothers ,peter and ,andrew pause in their labors at the persuasive words of ,christ4 ,in him1 their future as apostles1 or teachers1 and the future of mankind hang momentarily suspended--like the net in their hands4 ,this panel is part of an altarpiece commissioned for the high altar of the ,cathedral in ,siena and called the ,maest 78majesty07 because its central theme was the ,virgin splendidly enthroned with angels and saints4 ,the purpose of this piece1 like so many medieval paintings1 was to teach1 and ,duccio arranged bright colors in simple shapes so that the story could easily be recognized4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #d3 ,fra ,angelico and ,fra ,filippi ,lippi1 ,the ,adoration of the ,magi1 painted c4 #adde ,painted by two monks 7,fra means 8friar071 this important painting fuses the concerns and techniques of medieval and ,renaissance artists4 ,the tapestrylike lawn1 the decorative bright colors1 and the inverted perspective of the shed are elements common to medieval art4 ,the realistic rendering of birds and animals1 the weight and volume given the kneeling ,magi in the foreground1 and the classically inspired nude figures at the distant left reflect the new-found interest of the ,renaissance in both classical antiquity and the external world4 ,the colorful1 festive mood of the painting1 moreover1 is emphasized by the bustling throngs of people arriving to worship the ,christ ,child4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #d3 ,andrea del ,castagno1 ,the ,youthful ,david1 painted c4 #adej ,not simply a work of art1 this painted leather shield reflects the uniquely nationalistic consciousness of the ,florentine city-state4 ,as a public image carried in parades and ceremonies1 its function was to symbolize the ,florentine struggle for freedom and1 as a gruesome depiction of victory against oppression1 to warn all potential enemies of ,florence4 ,on the shield1 both main episodes of the ,old ,testament story appear concurrently3 ,david takes aim with his sling1 while the giant's head lies already severed at his feet4 ,the effective1 although awkward1 foreshortening of the upraised arm and the sharply delineated veins and muscles attest to ,castagno's ,renaissance interest in the realistic rendition of perspective and anatomy4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #f3 ,leonardo da ,vinci1 ,ginevra de' ,benci1 painted c4 #adhj ,with precise draftsmanship and an infinitely subtle manipulation of light and shadow1 ,leonardo captures the character of a young ,florentine noblewoman of the fifteenth century4 ,in her eyes he has drawn a look of intelligence2 in her bearing and the set of her mouth1 there is a sense of determination and conviction4 ,punning on the name of his sitter1 the artist has framed her head with a juniper bush--ginepro in ,italian--and decorated the back of the panel with a juniper sprig4 ,commissioned just after he completed an apprenticeship with ,verrocchio1 this early work is the only painting in the ,western hemisphere accepted by scholars as indisputably by ,leonardo1 one of the true geniuses of the ,renaissance4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #h3 ,raphael1 ,the ,alba ,madonna1 painted c4 #aeaj ,the solidity and serenity of the figures derive from the forms and poses seen in ancient ,roman sculpture and from the art of ,raphael's contemporaries1 ,leonardo and ,michelangelo4 ,the equilibrium and stability of the grouping provides not only a freshness and majesty suitable for the religious moment but also a source of contrast to the subtle but painful implications of the reed cross held by the two children4 ,named for the ,spanish ,dukes of ,alba who once owned it1 the ,alba ,madonna is one of five paintings by ,raphael in the ,national ,gallery of ,art4 ,venetian and ,north ,italian ,art 7,galleries #ai-bi7 ,the splendor of ,venetian art reflects the city's prosperity during its years as a major ,mediterranean port4 ,typical of ,venetian lavishness is ,the ,feast of the ,gods 7gallery #bb7 by ,giovanni ,bellini1 ,renaissance artist and teacher of ,giorgione and ,titian4 ,this huge painting draws from the fantasies of mythology1 turning a ,venetian picnic into a feast for gods4 ,aware of the subtle reflections of light and shadow playing in the misty air over the lagoons of ,venice1 sixteenth-century artists such as ,titian1 ,veronese 7gallery #bh71 and ,tintoretto 7gallery #bi7 strove to capture the illusion of surface texture and tangible atmosphere through their paints4 ,because oils blended easily together and because one could thicken these paints with pigments1 artists soon established a more flexible technique4 ,at the same time1 they abandoned rigid wood panels for canvas supports1 which allowed larger1 lighter pictures4 ,these innovations1 combined with worldly subjects1 soon had a significant impact on the rest of ,europe4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #ba3 ,giorgione1 ,the ,adoration of the ,shepherds1 painted c4 #aeaj ,dominated by a placid landscape bathed in the half-light of dawn1 ,giorgione's composition focuses on the small group placed off-center in the foreground4 ,rendering the ,holy ,family in luminous colors1 the artist has silhouetted them against the dark mouth of a cave1 a traditional nativity setting borrowed from ,byzantine art that here reflects the strong cultural ties between the city-state of ,venice and the empire to the east4 ,this composition1 one of the very few existing paintings by the master1 demonstrates ,giorgione's mastery of color and control of mood1 elements which helped him to achieve fame during his short life of thirty-three years4 ,illustration3 ,,west ,,sculpture ,,hall3 ,jacopo ,sansovino1 ,venus ,anadyomene1 cast c4 #aebg-aecj ,one of the rare1 life-sized bronzes of the ,renaissance now in the ,united ,states1 the ,venus ,anadyomene is of unparalleled elegance4 ,while the softness of the modeled forms and the vertical sweep of the curving silhouette invest the nude with a heightened grace1 her twisting pose invites the viewer to move around the statue1 following the fluid line of her encircling arms4 ,shown holding a seashell1 a reflection of ,venus' birth from the sea1 this statue is appropriately entitled anadyomene1 8rising from the waters40 ,the artist1 ,jacopo ,sansovino1 was trained in ,florence and ,rome4 ,moving to ,venice in #aebg1 this major high ,renaissance sculptor and architect designed or remodeled many important private and public buildings including several palaces and the ,library of ,saint ,mark4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #bh4 ,titian1 ,doge ,andrea ,gritti1 painted c4 #aece_/aedj ,typically ,venetian was ,titian's method of starting with a dark preparatory ground1 then building up the forms with thin layers of oil paint4 ,choosing the pose that best focuses our attention1 ,titian has captured his sitter's restless vitality in the turn of the doge's head and the penetrating glance4 ,by accentuating the size and grasp of the hand and the bulk of the body beneath the sumptuous ceremonial robes1 the artist has drawn a massive and commanding presence befitting this renowned admiral and doge1 or duke of ,venice4 ,as seen here1 the figure seems to emerge quite powerfully from the shadow1 and the predominant hues of red and yellow have a rich1 smoldering quality4 ,italian ,art of the #agth and #ahth ,centuries 7,galleries #cc1 #cd1 #cf1 #cg2 ,lobby ,a1 ,west ,stair ,hall1 and ,rotunda ,stair ,hall7 ,the baroque period began around #afjj1 when the ,church was engaged in a movement to curb the spreading of the ,protestant ,reformation4 ,to appeal to the large numbers of ambivalent ,christians torn between the two theologies1 the ,catholic clergy commissioned and supported a realistic but dramatic art designed to involve the populace in the teachings and the authority of the ,church4 ,indeed1 so appealing was the baroque style that it was quickly adapted to the worldly subjects of the secular arts4 ,representative of the ,counter-,reformation era is ,gian ,lorenzo ,bernini1 an enormously successful and influential architect and sculptor4 ,as world trade shifted to the ,atlantic nations1 however1 ,italy's economic position declined1 and by the eighteenth century many ,italian painters had to search for commissions elsewhere in ,europe4 ,through their travels1 decorative painters and muralists1 such as ,giovanni ,battista ,tiepolo1 soon established an international style filled with brilliant colors and virtuoso brushwork4 ,illustration3 ,,lobby ,a3 ,gian ,lorenzo ,bernini1 ,monsignor ,francesco ,barberini1 carved c4 #afbd_/afbe ,a masterful example of the immediacy of baroque art1 this bust of the uncle of ,matteo ,barberini1 who became ,pope ,urban ,,viii1 captures the textural qualities of living flesh4 ,through ,bernini's virtuosity1 the highly polished forehead gives the illusion of glossy skin1 whereas the starched fabric has been left with a rough1 light-absorbing surface4 ,to create a thoughtful expression1 ,bernini has exaggerated the depth of the eye sockets1 casting deep shadows4 ,such a convincing portrayal of aging flesh and stern character--commissioned by the pope as a tribute to his uncle--is all the more impressive since ,bernini had never seen the long-dead ,francesco ,barberini4 ,the bee on the pedestal is the emblem of the ,barberini1 a wealthy ,roman family4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #cc3 ,orazio ,gentileschi1 ,the ,lute ,player1 painted c4 #afaj ,the most casual elements of this intimate portrait of human activity combine to create a masterful composition of complex and dynamic parts4 ,the pose of the girl1 shown with arm and head poised as she tunes her lute1 generates a feeling of sustained movement4 ,the intricate still life fading into shadowy depths at the left is in deliberate contrast to the brightly lit costume and solid figure of the lute player4 ,the combination of abrupt spotlighting and suggested deep space was characteristic of baroque painting in seventeenth-century ,rome1 and ,gentileschi1 an international court artist1 transmitted this robust style to ,genoa1 ,paris1 and ,london4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #cf3 ,giovanni ,paolo ,panini1 ,the ,interior of the ,pantheon1 painted c4 #agdj ,in an era of travel1 when men and women of wealth toured the continent as part of their education1 factual renderings of interiors and cityscapes became important souvenirs4 ,a major attraction on the ,grand ,tour during the eighteenth century was ,rome2 and in ,rome1 the ,pantheon1 a circular temple built in the second century4 ,converted to a ,christian church1 it became the burial spot of ,renaissance authors and artists1 such as ,raphael1 and has proved the source of inspiration for many later structures1 including the central rotunda of the ,national ,gallery4 ,panini was the greatest view painter in ,rome during the #agjjs1 although his precise manner of painting was paralleled by his ,venetian contemporaries1 ,canaletto and ,guardi4 ,flemish and ,german ,art 7,galleries #ce1 #ce;,a1 #ci-dc7 ,at the beginning of the fifteenth century1 northern ,european art was caught up by the same spirit of empirical inquiry and technical innovation that predominated in ,italy during this period4 ,northern art1 however1 reflects neither the influence of classical art nor the development of a single-point perspective that are the hallmarks of the ,italian ,renaissance4 ,rather1 ,netherlandish artists such as ,jan van ,eyck achieved mastery in the new technique of oil painting4 ,the use of oil on wood panel permitted an extraordinary increase in the depth and richness of color1 which1 in turn1 was coupled with the tradition of minute1 craftsmanly detail established in late medieval manuscript illumination4 ,around #aejj1 ,italian humanism and ,renaissance science had a discernable effect upon northern ,european painting4 ,albrecht ,drer 7gallery #ce;,a7 and ,francois ,clouet 7gallery #da7 both profited from their exposure to ,italian art4 ,the ,renaissance influence carried over into the work of ,rubens in the seventeenth century despite the religious and political upheaval of the ,reformation which affected so much ,european art of the mid-#aejjs4 ,catholic ,flanders1 the home of ,rubens1 remained relatively untouched by the changing times and maintained a continuity of political and economic ties to the ,spanish monarchy4 ,rubens1 who drew heavily from the work of earlier ,italian masters1 at the same time developed a baroque preference for large-scale canvases and bravura brushwork1 transmitting this style to his associate van ,dyck4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #ci3 ,jan van ,eyck1 ,the ,annunciation1 painted c4 #adbe_/adcj ,the sacred setting of a medieval church provides the backdrop to van ,eyck's interpretation of the ,annunciation4 ,the archangel ,gabriel1 dressed in jewels and rich fabrics1 greets ,mary3 8,hail ,mary1 full of grace40 ,the simply gowned young virgin lifts her hands in wonder and replies1 8,behold the handmaiden of the ,lord40 ,the two ,latin phrases 7,mary's is written upside-down7 reinforce the contrast and balance between these two important figures3 ,gabriel in his sumptuous attire and with wings in rainbow colors stands slightly in front in a partially turned position1 whereas ,mary in her subdued glory sits slightly behind the angel and faces forward4 ,following the established tradition of the story1 van ,eyck added a lily1 symbol of purity1 and a dove1 symbol of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,he also decorated the floor tiles with ,old ,testament scenes prefiguring the life and triumph of ,christ--,samson destroys the ,philistine temple and ,david slays ,goliath4 ,this subtle integration of religious history into the background of the painting is indicative of the late medieval belief that objects of the external world are imbued with religious symbolism4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #ce;,a3 ,mathis ,grnewald1 ,the ,small ,crucifixion1 painted c4 #aeaj ,one of the few surviving paintings by ,grnewald1 this crucifixion amply displays the emotional power of this ,german ,renaissance artist4 ,set against a sky darkened by an eclipse of the sun1 the scarred and haggard body of ,christ makes the scene painfully and physically immediate4 ,with the agonized gesture of the hands1 the ragged loincloth1 the dislocated shoulders1 and twisted feet1 little remains to soften the tension of the painting2 rather1 the artist emphasizes the human suffering necessary for ,christ to redeem mankind4 ,painted on the eve of the ,protestant ,reformation1 this panel reflects the growing insistence in northern ,europe upon the reality and importance of private religious experiences4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #da;,a3 ,peter ,paul ,rubens1 ,daniel in the ,lions' ,den1 painted c4 #afae ,scholar1 collector1 diplomat1 and one of the finest artists of his century1 ,rubens was famed for the boundless enthusiasm and technical wizardry of his paintings4 ,this monumental piece was executed early in ,rubens' career4 ,its impact depends not only upon its large scale but also upon the baroque combination of the theatrical--the dramatic lighting and ,daniel's expressive pose--with a convincing realism--the lifelike postures and superbly rendered lions' fur4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #db3 ,sir ,anthony van ,dyck1 ,queen ,henrietta ,maria with ,her ,dwarf1 painted probably in #afcc ,painted in ,london1 this depiction of ,henrietta ,maria1 wife of ,britain's ,charles ,i and sister of ,france's ,louis ,,xiii1 is a prime example of the baroque 8,grand ,manner0 portrait4 ,analysis of character is sacrificed in favor of a stately and essentially flattering mode of presentation2 the glittering crown1 for example1 recalls ,henrietta ,maria's station as a queen and the sumptuous fabrics declare her wealth4 ,the large size of the canvas and the lack of expression on the queen's face are both devices that engender a mood of aloof formality and grandeur2 animation and warmth are limited to the minor figures of the dwarf ,geoffrey ,hudson1 who was to become a trusted ambassador1 and his pet monkey ,pug4 ,with seventeen paintings by van ,dyck1 the ,national ,gallery has one of the finest and most representative collections of portraits by this master4 ,dutch ,art 7,galleries #dd-di7 ,the ,united ,netherlands was founded in #afji as a ,protestant nation following bitter wars of liberation from ,catholic ,spain4 ,the combination of excellent seaports1 a powerful navy1 and strong mercantile interests made ,holland a flourishing economic center4 ,dutch patrons1 predominantly ,calvinist and middle class1 demanded not religious or mythological pictures1 but landscapes1 portraits1 still lifes1 and genres1 or scenes of daily life4 ,their demands were met by an ever-increasing number of ,dutch artists who1 perhaps in response to a burgeoning and competitive market1 specialized in a single type of subject4 ,thus ,frans ,hals was famed for his portraits1 ,kalf for his still lifes1 and ,ruisdael and ,hobbema for their landscapes4 ,the one exception was ,rembrandt1 whose penetrating insight into the human condition and whose superb technical facility enabled him to explore successfully a variety of subjects4 ,holland's artistic boom was soon ended1 however1 for as quickly as it arose1 the economic and artistic ,golden ,age declined during the last years of the seventeenth century4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #dd3 ,jan ,vermeer1 ,a ,woman ,weighing ,gold1 painted c4 #afeg ,one aspect of ,vermeer's genius was his ability to create a poetry of the obvious1 to transmute a mundane scene into an evocative moment4 ,in what appears at first to be a simple depiction of a woman holding a pair of scales1 a framed painting of the ,last ,judgment included on the back wall of the scene suggests a more serious1 allegorical meaning4 ,weighing the souls of mankind serves as a point of comparison to the woman weighing her worldly possessions4 ,vermeer's incomparable sensitivity in rendering effects of light can be seen in the careful modulation of the cool1 muted daylight that fills the room4 ,especially striking are the touches of pure white paint that highlight the fur collar and the pearls on the table4 ,the stable1 geometric gridwork formed by the table1 picture frame1 and window reinforce the calm and serious mood4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #dd3 ,jan ,davidsz4 de ,heem1 ,vase of ,flowers1 painted c4 #afde ,this still life reveals more than a study of inanimate objects positioned in light and shadow2 it also betrays the artist's interest in the lively microcosmic worlds unnoticed in our daily life4 ,using more than twenty varieties of blossoms1 including roses1 tulips1 morning-glories1 and candytuft1 de ,heem weaves the blooms1 overflowing in the insect-inhabited shadows1 into the arrangement of sunlit flowers thriving in the central area of the painting4 ,since none of the flowers bloom concurrently1 the artist portrayed them either from illustrations in botanical texts or from his own studies made during different times of the year4 ,such interest in the cycle of the seasons and the transience of life1 as reflected in this symbolic bouquet1 is frequently seen in ,dutch flower painting4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #dg3 ,aelbert ,cuyp1 ,the ,maas at ,dordrecht1 painted c4 #affj ,cuyp was a marine and landscape painter1 noted for his delicate atmospheric effects4 ,a major portion of this composition is taken up by the sky1 which is painted in translucent washes of thinned oils4 ,the scene1 bathed in the gentle golden light of early morning1 shows the ,maas ,river and1 at the left1 the unfinished church tower of ,cuyp's home city of ,dordrecht4 ,the fleet of boats on the left1 arranged on the diagonal1 serves both to create deep space and to contrast with the single massive ship on the right4 ,as cannons salute in the middle distance1 a figure in a vivid red1 black1 and white uniform prepares to board ship4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #dh3 ,rembrandt1 ,self-,portrait1 dated #afei ,the some sixty self-portraits painted by ,rembrandt during his long career form a unique visual autobiography4 ,in early life1 he was ,amsterdam's leading portraitist and narrative painter and a wealthy man4 ,later1 ravaged by bankruptcy and personal misfortunes1 ,rembrandt became increasingly introspective4 ,in this self-portrait1 painted when he was fifty-three1 all but the essential forms are concealed in shadow4 ,light appears to emanate from the face itself1 although the eyes are veiled in a mysterious half-shadow4 ,rembrandt's technical genius enabled him to create subtle nuances even within a restricted range of color2 the golden light glistening from his forehead merges with the blue-gray at the temples4 ,all of ,rembrandt's painterly skill was used1 ultimately1 to confront us with a candid self-appraisal that neither flatters nor disparages4 7,the ,national ,gallery has a wide range of ,rembrandt paintings in galleries #de and #dh47 ,spanish ,art 7,galleries #cj1 #ch1 #ci1 #ej1 #ea and #gf7 ,imported by the royal courts or commissioned by the ,church1 foreign artists dominated the arts of ,spain during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries4 ,juan de ,flandes1 a ,flemish painter 7galleries #ch and #ci71 served the court of ,ferdinand and ,isabella1 and ,el ,greco 7gallery #cj71 a ,greek who studied in ,venice and ,rome1 settled and worked in ,toledo4 ,by the #afjjs1 ,spain had become an economic and cultural force in ,europe1 her power sustained in large part by the wealth of her vast ,american colonies4 ,seville was then the artistic capital of ,spain2 ,zurbarn1 ,valds ,leal1 ,murillo1 who founded an academy there in #affj1 and ,velzquez all worked in ,seville4 ,after moving to ,madrid1 ,velzquez served ,philip ,,iv as court painter and director of the royal museum4 ,the greatest ,spanish artist of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries was ,francisco de ,goya1 who was court portraitist to a succession of corrupt monarchs and ,french conquerors4 ,it should not be forgotten1 too1 that the twentieth-century artist ,pablo ,picasso 7gallery #gf7 was first active in ,barcelona before emigrating to ,france4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #cj3 ,el ,greco1 ,laocon1 painted c4 #afaj ,unnatural color1 particularly in the weightless1 elongated figures1 combines with a mannered representation of landscape in this unearthly vision from ,homeric legend4 ,shown is the priest ,laocon1 who1 with his sons1 is attacked and destroyed by serpents for having offended the gods during the course of the ,trojan ,war4 ,beyond the wooden horse lies the city of ,troy1 a distant and stormy image based on the artist's adopted city of ,toledo4 ,born in ,greece1 ,domenikos ,theotokopoulos was nicknamed ,el ,greco1 8the ,greek10 when he moved to ,spain in #aegf4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #ej3 ,francisco de ,goya1 ,seora ,sabasa ,garca1 painted c4 #ahjf or #ahjg ,acutely sensitive to the ignorance1 hypocrisy1 and cruelty in all levels of society1 ,goya often worked in a satirical mode to capture the realities of war and the tyranny and decadence of court life4 ,yet1 in depicting the niece of a high-ranking government official1 the artist has given us a marvelously direct and sympathetic portrait4 ,the innate1 peculiarly ,spanish sense of pride and self-discipline is evident in ,sabasa ,garca's aristocratic posture and bold1 unflinching gaze4 ,equally direct is ,goya's manner of painting1 which captures the rough texture of the shawl as well as the gossamer quality of the mantilla lace4 ,the result is a portrait of great intensity heightened by feminine beauty4 ,french ,art of the #agth1 #ahth1 and ,early #aith ,centuries 7,galleries #cc1 #dd1 #eb-ef1 ,east ,sculpture ,hall1 and ,lobby ,c7 ,troubled by the ,catholic-,huguenot wars and civil wars of the previous century1 seventeenth-century ,france followed a course of aggression against foreign monarchies and of consolidation within the ,french state4 ,most heavily supported by the royal court1 ,french artists were sent to ,rome to study the arts of the ,italian ,renaissance and classical antiquity2 some1 like ,claude ,lorrain and ,nicolas ,poussin 7gallery #eb71 chose to remain in ,italy4 ,in ,paris1 an ,academy1 which rapidly became the ruling body for ,french art1 was established in #afdh4 ,to enhance the brilliance of his reign in the latter part of the century1 ,louis ,,xiv sponsored a ceremonial art--more idealistic than realistic in style--and built near ,paris the largest palace in ,europe1 ,versailles4 ,the fountains in the ,national ,gallery's ,east and ,west ,garden ,courts once stood in the gardens of ,versailles and still bear traces of the lavish gold leaf that originally covered them4 ,under ,louis ,,xv and ,louis ,,xvi in the eighteenth century1 ,french society became more relaxed and informal4 ,most apparent in the decorative arts1 the move to a lighter1 more graceful style affected painting as well4 ,the new style1 rococo1 was first developed by ,watteau 7galleries #ec and #ed71 who used a carefree delicacy1 pastel colors1 and gracefully curving lines4 ,after the ,french ,revolution of #aghi1 a school of neoclassical artists dominated painting1 using themes of patriotic heroism and stressing severe beauty of line and firm modeling1 over light and color4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #dd3 ,georges de ,la ,tour1 ,the ,repentant ,magdalen1 c4 #afdj ,within the melancholy darkness of this painting1 the dim light reveals emblems of the vanity and brevity of life3 a skull1 book1 and mirror4 ,eliminating unnecessary detail1 ,la ,tour makes us focus on the inward1 spiritual aspect of his themes1 through monumental shapes and a nearly abstract geometry of forms4 ,mary ,magdalen's fingers touching the skull1 for instance1 are emphasized in stark angularity against the light from the hidden flame4 ,like ,vermeer1 ,la ,tour is a rediscovery of recent years4 ,although highly respected in his lifetime1 ,la ,tour slipped into obscurity1 and only thirty-eight of his paintings survive today4 ,a court painter to ,louis ,,xiii1 ,la ,tour was noted for his 8nocturnes10 which generate a mood of isolation by their dense shadows that envelop the composition4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #eb3 ,claude ,lorrain1 ,the ,judgment of ,paris1 painted #afde_/afdf ,in a landscape of such serenity and beauty as this1 the figures almost play a secondary role4 ,the perfectly blue sky with light cloud formations enhances the golden tones of the foreground2 the distant ,trojan citadel on the right balances the figures at the near left1 where three goddesses gather round the ,prince of ,troy1 ,paris4 ,chosen to judge the women on their beauty1 ,paris is bribed by ,venus1 here accompanied by her son ,cupid1 and accepts her aid in abducting ,helen1 ,queen of ,sparta4 ,claude's vision of this episode1 which eventually touched off the ,trojan ,war1 is a fine example of his ability both to ennoble and to idealize nature1 and it was this mode of painting which was to dominate ,european landscape painting for the next two centuries4 ,illustration3 ,,east ,,sculpture ,,hall3 ,jean-,louis ,lemoyne1 ,diana1 dated #agbd ,girlish and slightly awkward1 her skirts disheveled by the breeze1 ,diana is shown as though embarking on a woodland jaunt4 ,the turning figure of the goddess1 the poised1 expectant look of her dog1 and the lightness of her simple drapery lend a sense of buoyancy and delicacy to the ponderous weight of the marble4 ,lemoyne's surviving masterpiece1 this statue formed part of a group executed by several eighteenth-century ,french sculptors for the gardens of the ,chteau de la ,muette at ,marly1 a royal retreat and hunting lodge near ,paris4 ,this sculptural series helped to generate a new interest in graceful vitality1 replacing the earlier ideals of serene monumentality in ,european statuary4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #ee3 ,jean-,honor ,fragonard1 ,a ,young ,girl ,reading1 painted c4 #aggf ,the delicate rococo style of the #agjjs culminates in the work of ,fragonard1 court painter to ,louis ,,xvi4 ,indeed1 an intimate portrayal such as this typifies rococo taste4 ,stabilized only by the straight wall and armrest1 curving lines wind through the composition4 ,fragonard's fascination with the irregular extends to the positioning of the girl's hand and the boneless curl of her little finger1 to the interlacings of her hair ribbons and the bows on her gown4 ,the radiant golden quality of the light and the frothy texture of the paint add to the picture's sensuous warmth4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #ef3 ,jacques-,louis ,david1 ,napoleon in ,his ,study1 dated #ahab ,sensitive to the political aspirations of his sitter1 ,david has here chosen an activity1 a time1 and a setting that subtly but pointedly illuminate the tenacity and drive of the conqueror ,napoleon4 ,with the clock pointing to #d3ac and with candles guttering1 ,napoleon is presumably rising from a night of work2 his dress uniform is wrinkled and his face unshaven4 ,the study is littered with symbols of power1 the sword alluding to ,napoleon's military conquests and the scroll on the desk representing the ,napoleonic ,code1 still the basis of ,french law4 ,the crisp silhouettes and dark colors typify the neoclassical style that followed the ,french ,revolution of #aghi4 ,british ,art 7,galleries #eg-ei and #fa7 ,the history of sixteenth-century ,england was characterized by unstable1 often short-lived alliances made with her several continental neighbors4 ,no wonder then that the influx and influence of foreign artists during this and the following century reflects the diversity of political ties between ,england and ,europe4 ,in the #aejjs1 the ,german ,hans ,holbein the ,younger 7gallery #dj7 was court artist to ,henry ,,viii soon after that monarch's audacious break with the ,church1 and in the #afjjs the ,fleming1 ,anthony van ,dyck 7galleries #db and #dc71 was in the employ of ,charles ,i4 ,in the eighteenth century1 however1 when ,england became a leading maritime and industrial nation under ,george ,,iii and ,george ,,iv1 a large group of native ,british painters emerged1 and in #agfh the ,royal ,academy was founded in ,london4 ,the portraitists were led by ,sir ,joshua ,reynolds1 first president of the ,royal ,academy1 and ,thomas ,gainsborough1 noted for his virtuoso brushwork4 ,among their contemporaries and followers were ,romney1 ,hoppner1 ,raeburn and ,lawrence4 ,in the early #ahjjs1 ,england produced two landscapists who achieved international reputations4 ,constable was basically a realist in his study of scenes in natural light2 ,turner1 however1 was a romantic who interpreted the moods of nature4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #ei3 ,thomas ,gainsborough1 ,mrs4 ,richard ,brinsley ,sheridan1 painted probably #aghe_/aghf ,with a feeling for theatricality1 ,gainsborough interplays the frail figure of a young woman and the powerful mood of nature to establish a perfect setting for this celebrated actress and wife of the playwright and politician ,sheridan4 ,born ,elizabeth ,linley1 she was ,gainsborough's lifelong friend4 ,a motif common to the eighteenth century1 the ,age of ,enlightenment1 was the use of nature and an informal pose to achieve unaffected simplicity4 ,in this portrait1 however1 early signs of romanticism are clearly seen in the dramatic quality of the blowing trees and windswept figure contrasted with the calm features of the finely modeled face4 ,gainsborough normally painted under candlelight to give a glow and flickering liveliness to his sitters and sometimes used six-foot-long brushes to avoid finicky detailing4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #eg3 ,joseph ,mallord ,william ,turner1 ,keelmen ,heaving in ,coals by ,moonlight1 painted probably in #ahce ,turner's exaggerated rendition of moonlight was criticized by conservatives when this night scene on the ,river ,tyne was exhibited at the ,royal ,academy in #ahce4 ,cutting through the center of the painting1 the arched curve of brilliant light transforms the reality of a gritty industrial scene into an appealingly romantic seascape and brings the world of man into accord with nature4 ,through the misty ,english air and against the thinly painted sky1 the moon shimmers forth as a disk of thick white paint4 ,american ,art 7,galleries #fj1 #fj;,a1 #fj;,b1 #fb1 and #fd-fh7 ,established as a subculture of the mother country1 the ,american colonies looked to ,england for leadership in the arts4 ,ambitious painters1 finding no opportunity for formal training in the colonies1 went to study in ,europe4 ,benjamin ,west1 a ,pennsylvania ,quaker1 after three years in ,italy1 in #agfc established himself in ,london1 where he achieved such renown that he became ,history ,painter to ,king ,george ,,iii and was later appointed second president of the ,royal ,academy of ,arts4 ,until after the ,civil ,war1 the best training was still abroad1 but usually the ,american students returned to the ,united ,states1 where a growing urban society with more leisure was providing a market for works of art4 ,during the first half of the nineteenth century1 many untrained artists1 working in the cities but more often traveling about the countryside1 provided nave or primitive pictures for the ever-increasing middle classes4 ,up to this time the artist had been mainly a portraitist2 but with the invention of the camera in #ahci he had to shift his emphasis1 and by mid-century ,america had a thriving school of landscape painters1 whose works fed a national pride in the great wild terrain of the ,new ,world4 ,after the ,civil ,war1 however1 these landscapes also appealed to a populace seeking relief in the ideal world of a quiet countryside away from the humdrum of dirty cities that were springing up everywhere1 the result of the ,industrial ,revolution4 ,thomas ,eakins and ,winslow ,homer were the great turn-of-the-century artists4 ,they portrayed ,american life and scenery with straightforward candor4 ,their example has been carried on by some modern ,american artists who1 fascinated with the urban growth of the #aijjs1 have emphasized the vitality of city life4 ,these include painters such as ,henri1 ,bellows1 and ,sloan4 ,more recently abstract art has been in the forefront of ,american painting4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #fd3 ,john ,singleton ,copley1 ,watson and the ,shark1 dated #aggh ,unusual in ,european art1 the sense of immediacy in this rescue scene was an ,american innovation1 and it assured ,copley's reputation in ,britain while furthering the importance of realism in narrative painting4 ,the successful merchant and former ,english sailor ,brook ,watson commissioned the young ,american artist1 who had settled in ,london1 to depict an adventure that occurred in the sailor's youth4 ,watson had been attacked by a shark while swimming in ,havana1 ,cuba1 in #agdi4 ,using a fresh approach1 ,copley recaptured the horror of that event by lending vivid emotions to the rescuers--cowardice1 fear1 compassion--and by catching the helpless fright of the boy4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #fj;,b3 ,gilbert ,stuart1 ,the ,skater1 painted in #aghb ,artist and subject1 while breaking from the first posing session for this portrait1 took to the fresh air and exercise of skating on the frozen ,serpentine in ,london's ,hyde ,park4 ,the sport gave ,stuart a novel idea1 which he translated with a free-spirited freshness and vigor4 ,commissioned by ,mr4 ,william ,grant1 this1 ,stuart's first full-length portrait1 was a triumph at the ,royal ,academy exhibition in #aghb4 ,unlike ,west1 under whom he studied1 and ,copley1 another ,american artist1 ,gilbert ,stuart eventually returned to the ,united ,states1 achieving further fame with his innumerable portraits of ,george ,washington4 ,painted in #agie1 the famous portrait in gallery #fb is believed to be his first life study of the president4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #fj3 ,thomas ,cole1 ,the ,voyage of ,life3 ,childhood1 dated #ahdb ,one of the earliest ,american landscapists1 ,thomas ,cole produced imaginary1 symbolic scenes as well as glorified panoramas of native wilderness4 ,in the first of four fantasies1 ,childhood1 a baby's ship of life1 steered by a guardian angel1 floats at the source of a river toward a promising dawn4 ,in the other three pictures completing ,the ,voyage of ,life series1 ,youth sets off on a meandering stream1 striving toward a castle in the clouds1 while ,manhood weathers a storm on a tumultuous river and ,old ,age drifts into a quiet ocean where heavenly messengers wait to receive him4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #ff3 ,edward ,hicks1 ,the ,cornell ,farm1 dated #ahdh ,after an #ahdh ,pennsylvania agricultural fair1 ,james ,cornell commissioned this record of his prize-winning livestock and acreage4 ,in addition to carefully detailing each cow1 horse1 pig1 sheep1 and building1 the artist ,edward ,hicks has also emphasized the decorative patterning of the group4 ,this so-called nave piece does not present a sophisticated rendering of anatomy or landscape1 but it does present a study in contrast between the rhythmic row of animals and the geometric background4 ,lacking formal artistic schooling1 ,hicks was a sign and coach painter1 who did pictures as a sideline or as favors for friends4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #fg3 ,james ,mc,neill ,whistler1 ,the ,white ,girl 7,symphony in ,white1 ,no4 #a71 dated #ahfb ,painted in ,paris1 this canvas caused a scandal at an #ahfc exhibition4 ,the lack of personality in the face infuriated critics2 they failed to realize that this was not intended as a portrait4 ,whistler1 an ,american expatriate1 was exercising his artistic theories by exploring a single tone--white4 ,the starched cuffs1 striped sleeves1 cambric skirt1 brocade curtain1 and fur rug create a 8,symphony in ,white10 as ,whistler once titled this work4 ,the fullness of the girl's lips1 the thick richness of her chestnut hair1 and her wide blue eyes1 however1 mark a subtle but uneasy contrast to the purity of the white color4 ,this tension is carried further by the presence of the bearskin and the garish flowers wilting on the floor1 symbolic1 perhaps1 of a bestiality of nature and an innocence lost4 ,to emphasize the color relationships around this woman1 his mistress ,joanna ,hiffernan1 ,whistler flattened the space and avoided strong lights and shadows4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #fh3 ,george ,bellows1 ,both ,members of ,this ,club1 painted in #aiji ,when public boxing was illegal in ,new ,york1 fights were held in private clubs with fighters elected as members for only the night of the match4 ,the black boxer may be ,joe ,gans1 lightweight champion from #aija to #aijh2 his opponent has not been identified4 ,once a professional athlete himself1 ,george ,bellows understood the violence of the sport4 ,brutality is conveyed by the angular lines of the fighters' bodies1 the boldly slashing brushwork1 and the lurid glare of spotlights within the gloomy arena4 ,french ,art of the #aith ,century 7,galleries #gb1 #gg1 and #hc-ic7 ,french art during the second half of the #ahjjs is noted for its innovation and its diversity4 ,yet1 although the paintings produced during this period differ in their visual effects1 the artists of these works were all largely concerned with the same problem3 how to treat nature and how to define reality4 ,thus1 in reaction to the neoclassicists1 who stressed line and color1 and the romantics1 who favored lush hues1 exotic or unusual subject matter1 and emotionalism1 the realists sought to paint only what was before them1 free from embellishment4 ,other artists such as ,monet and ,renoir concentrated upon recording the fleeting and subtle color impressions created by changes in sunlight4 ,because their technique was rapid and sketchy1 these latter artists gave less attention to studiously modeled form1 and their paintings1 although 8realistic0 in their rendition of light and space1 do not have the solid1 tangible qualities so evident in ,academic painting4 7,the ,gallery's collections are particularly comprehensive in the works of ,manet1 ,renoir1 and ,degas4 ,included also is ,mary ,cassatt1 the only ,american who exhibited with the impressionists47 ,still other artists rejected impressionism's concern with transitory moments in order to express either their intuitive reactions to the natural world or their personalized interpretation of the physical laws that order appearances4 ,reality was redefined by these artists1 such as ,gauguin1 van ,gogh1 ,toulouse-,lautrec1 and ,czanne1 who were known as post-impressionists4 ,it was their work which prepared the way for twentieth-century expressionism and abstraction4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #ic3 ,jean-,baptiste-,camille ,corot1 ,forest of ,fontainebleau1 painted c4 #ahcj ,amid the controversies of nineteenth-century ,french art criticism1 ,corot was a transitional figure4 ,popular with conservative patrons1 he was also a champion of the younger1 radical painters4 ,this scene in a forest near ,paris is composed of traditional elements3 the overlapping planes of light and dark foliage and a deep perspective established by the path of light and space running through the painting's center4 ,corot's treatment of light1 studied directly from nature1 is quite modern1 however1 as he exactly captures the harsh glare and heavy shadow caused by strong sun4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #hc3 ,edouard ,manet1 ,gare ,saint-,lazare1 dated #ahgc ,overlooking ,paris' ,saint-,lazare railroad yards1 this sun-drenched scene is the first major picture ,manet executed out-of-doors4 ,though influenced by his friends1 the impressionists ,monet and ,renoir1 ,manet's disciplined temperament rejected impressionism's less structured effects4 ,the rigid lines of the iron fence1 for example1 act as a foil for the figures' curves4 ,the little girl1 whose interest lies on the rail yards behind1 forms a subtle tension with the woman who gazes out at the viewer4 ,the color scheme1 with its reversal of colors1 serves both to unify the pattern and to underscore the separation of the two figures3 the full womanly figure is dressed in blue accented with white1 whereas the childish figure is in white accented with blue4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #ij3 ,auguste ,renoir1 ,a ,girl with a ,watering ,can1 dated #ahgf ,wanting to capture the dazzling colors found in strong sunlight1 the impressionist painter ,renoir intensified the natural hues of reality to a greater vibrancy on canvas4 ,the green of the grass depicted here is more intense in hue than that which one might expect to find in nature1 and the gravel path sparkles like gems4 ,in calculating the juxtaposition of color1 the artist placed pale blue-green shadows on the child's face to heighten her rosy complexion4 ,in addition1 the blurred impressionist brushstrokes create the effect of shimmering sunlight dissolving form and detail4 ,once in response to criticism about his work1 ,renoir said1 8,there are enough things to bore us in life without our making more of them40 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #hf3 ,claude ,monet1 ,rouen ,cathedral1 ,west ,facade1 dated #ahid ,monet1 a founder of impressionism1 became obsessed with the variations with natural light4 ,from #ahib to #ahie1 he recorded in a series of paintings a medieval ,french cathedral as it appeared at different times of day or under different weather conditions4 ,in over thirty canvases of ,rouen ,cathedral1 ,monet's analyses of light on the cathedral's surfaces resulted in iridescent colors and thick paint textures that are visually sensational yet highly naturalistic4 ,here1 in early morning1 the church shimmers lavender and violet1 the stone of the upper portions glowing in the rich red-orange of the rising sun4 ,another from the ,rouen series1 showing the church in the yellow-white heat of the afternoon1 is also in this room4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #he3 ,edgar ,degas1 ,four ,dancers1 painted c4 #ahii ,one of ,degas' own favorite works1 this1 his last major oil painting1 has a chalky texture reminiscent of the pastels he frequently used4 ,studying the strong patterns in ,japanese prints as well as the snapshot effects of photography1 this superb draftsman often designed his paintings with an angled point of view or created an off-center balance1 cutting off figures by the frame edge4 ,with the increasing abstraction of his late style1 ,degas here used a black outline which not only separates the gestures of the dancers but also accents their red apparel1 intensifying the theatrical effect4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #he3 ,paul ,czanne1 ,still ,life1 painted c4 #ahid ,most evident in this painting is the tension between what is1 on the one hand1 a rendition of nature and1 on the other1 ,czanne's deliberate organization of the shapes into a rhythm of forms4 ,the swirls and eddies of the blue drapery are reflected in the curves of the apples1 peppermint bottle1 white linen1 and carafe4 ,at the same time1 horizontal or vertical lines dominate along the edge of the table1 the molding of the back wall1 and the neck of the bottle1 creating a linear grid that offsets and balances the curving lines4 ,the blue-green tonality1 in addition to the geometric patterning1 further demonstrates the artist's intent to visually organize and unify4 ,indeed1 for the sake of unity1 ,czanne has even distorted the carafe by swelling it out on one side1 pulling it deeper into the folds of the fabric4 #bjth-,century ,art 7,gallery #gf and ,west ,stair ,hall7 ,flattened shapes1 strong outlines1 unmodulated hues1 and pronounced pigment textures have been among the central devices of many twentieth-century painters4 ,artists have often abandoned the direct imitation of reality1 preferring instead to work through complex problems of pictorial design to express human feelings4 ,a tremendous diversity of artistic styles has resulted1 emerging in tempo with the rapid changes of modern society and technology4 ,the ,national ,gallery's present collection of modern art concentrates on the ,french school prior to ,world ,war ,i1 the period when ,paris was the cultural center of ,europe4 ,with the opening of the ,east ,building1 the ,national ,gallery will have increased space for the display of contemporary art4 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #gf3 ,pablo ,picasso1 ,family of ,saltimbanques1 painted in #aije ,obsessed in #aije with the theme of the circus1 ,picasso sought the company of performers not only as potential subjects for his paintings but also as companions4 ,their agility and grace delighted him2 their gypsy lives intrigued him1 as did their professional pursuit of the fine art of illusion4 ,the circus family in this painting is assembled in a lonely landscape devoid of any living thing4 ,their static poses suggest that each member1 caught up in reverie1 is unaware of the others4 ,a sense of equilibrium is maintained1 however1 in the compact shape of the five figures at the left balanced against the single figure in the right foreground4 ,the pastel tints of red1 violet1 and blue1 moreover1 create an aura of elegiac melancholy4 ,although ,picasso has abandoned the predominantly blue palette of his earlier1 more pensive work1 the ,family of ,saltimbanques still exudes a feeling of pathos and isolation4 7,the thirteen paintings by ,picasso in the ,national ,gallery represent the major phases within the first half of ,picasso's career47 ,illustration3 ,,gallery #gf3 ,georges ,braque1 ,still ,life3 ,le ,jour1 dated #aibi ,although common1 everyday items1 the objects in this painting are not shown in an everyday arrangement4 ,rather1 through a precise1 rational manipulation of shapes1 the artist has so structured the objects as to arrive at a fresh understanding of their reality4 ,the pitcher and the wineglass1 for example1 are each shown as an overview of the rim 7presenting one angle of vision7 and a profile view of the object's body 7presenting a second angle of vision72 these and other aspects of the objects are combined to reveal a new1 but nonetheless accurate1 perception of the object4 ,and1 as ,braque intended1 it is this flattened perception that1 throughout the composition1 constantly reminds us of the two-dimensional surface of the canvas4 ,braque's geometric compositions--which to outraged critics were nothing more than 8cubes0--were one aspect of a style known as cubism which developed shortly after the turn of the century4 ,illustration3 ,,west ,,stair ,,hall3 ,salvador ,dali1 ,the ,sacrament of the ,last ,supper1 dated #aiee ,known neither for his ,christian themes nor for simplicity of organization1 ,dali has in this painting moved away from the surrealism that preoccupied him during his earlier years4 ,the composition of the ,last ,supper is clearly defined in two main planes3 foreground action and background scenery4 ,the placement of the figures is symmetrical with a mirror-image repetition of the same figures from one side of the painting to the other4 ,the men1 their faces hidden1 are more the idealized participants in a timeless ,eucharist than specific men of a specific time and place4 ,the strange translucent enclosure--a geometrical dodecahedron--is meant to be understood as part earthly1 part celestial4 ,the enigma of this intellectual and complex painting centers finally in the all-embracing arms--symbolic of the heavens and of the creator1 who is seen as youthful rather than patriarchal but whose face is hidden4 ,decorative ,arts ,as objects for daily use1 the decorative arts allow a close insight into cultures of the past4 ,among its holdings1 the ,national ,gallery has an extensive collection of ,european furniture1 tapestries1 and ceramics from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries as well as medieval church vessels and ,renaissance jewelry4 ,in addition1 there is a fine selection of eighteenth-century ,french furniture--including many pieces signed by cabinetmakers to ,louis ,,xv and ,louis ,,xvi and1 of historic interest1 the writing table used by ,queen ,marie ,antoinette while she was imprisoned three years during the ,french ,revolution 7gallery #ee74 ,the ,gallery also contains a large collection of ,chinese porcelains1 including porcelains from the ,ch'ing ,dynasty of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries4 ,until the ,east ,building is completed1 only a few selected works can be placed on exhibition in the galleries4 ,prints and ,drawings ,the collection of prints and drawings at the ,national ,gallery contains about fifty thousand examples from the fifteenth century to the present time4 ,included are drawings by ,drer1 ,rembrandt1 ,rubens1 and ,blake1 as well as a wide range of prints by the major graphic artists of the ,western ,world4 ,the ,national ,gallery's collection incorporates an extremely fine selection of early ,northern woodcuts and engravings and one of the most important groups of eighteenth-century ,french prints1 drawings1 and book illustrations outside of ,france4 ,there is also an excellent group of early manuscript illuminations4 ,visitors may examine prints and drawings not on exhibition by appointment with a curator in the ,department of ,graphic ,arts4 ,index of ,american ,design ,the ,index of ,american ,design is a collection of watercolor renderings of objects of popular art in the ,united ,states from before #agjj until about #aijj4 ,the renderings represent ,american ceramics1 furniture1 woodcarving1 glassware1 metalwork1 tools and utensils1 textiles1 costumes1 and other types of ,american craftsmanship4 ,there are some seventeen thousand renderings and about five hundred photographs4 ,these are available for study1 by appointment4 ,the works themselves may be loaned to organizations for exhibition outside the ,gallery4 ,,general ,,information ,the ,national ,gallery is open to the public every day in the year except ,christmas ,day and ,new ,year's ,day4 ,admission is free at all times4 ,,hours ,regular3 ,weekdays1 #aj a4m4 to #e p4m42 ,sundays1 #ab noon to #i p4m4 ,summer3 ,during the summer months the regular hours are extended to #i p4m4 ,dates for the beginning and termination of evening hours are announced on ,gallery information boards and in the ,gallery's monthly ,calendar of ,events4 ,,art ,,information ,,desks ,there are two art information desks3 one at the ,constitution ,avenue entrance on the ,ground ,floor2 and the other at the ,mall entrance near the ,rotunda on the ,main ,floor4 ,,checkrooms ,free checking service is provided near the entrances4 ,all parcels1 briefcases1 and umbrellas must be checked4 ,,publications ,,service ,reproductions and catalogues of the collections are sold in the publications salesroom on the ,ground ,floor near the ,constitution ,avenue entrance4 ,books and catalogues1 postcards1 color reproductions1 framed reproductions1 original color slides1 recordings1 portfolios1 sculpture reproductions 7including jewelry71 note folders1 and other publications are available4 ,,tours ,gallery talks and free tours of the collection are given by the ,education ,department4 ,an ,introductory ,tour1 lasting about #ej minutes1 covers the ,gallery's highlights4 ,it is offered at #aa a4m4 and #c p4m41 ,monday through ,saturday1 and at #e p4m4 on ,sunday4 ,the ,tour of the ,week1 lasting about #ej minutes1 concentrates on a specific topic or on a special exhibition4 ,it is given at #a p4m41 ,tuesday through ,saturday1 and at #b3cj p4m4 on ,sunday4 ,the ,painting of the ,week1 a #ae-minute gallery talk on a single picture in the collection1 is scheduled at noon and #b p4m41 ,tuesday through ,saturday1 and at #c3cj and #f p4m4 on ,sunday4 ,special appointments for groups of #ae or more people can be arranged by applying to the ,education ,department at least two weeks in advance4 ,recorded tours1 one offering a selection of the ,director's choice of paintings and another discussing works in various galleries1 may be rented for nominal fees4 ,,lectures ,lectures by visiting art authorities1 and occasionally by members of the ,gallery staff1 are given at #d p4m4 on ,sunday afternoons in the ,auditorium4 ,the subjects are often grouped to form a series treating a single aspect of art history4 ,admission is free and no reservations are required4 ,the ,a4 ,w4 ,mellon ,lectures in the ,fine ,arts1 a special series commissioned by the ,national ,gallery1 which are subsequently published in book form1 take place during the spring4 ,,films ,free films on art are presented on a varying schedule4 ,for further information on tours1 lectures1 and films1 consult the ,gallery's ,calendar of ,events4 ,,concerts ,free concerts are given in the ,east ,garden ,court every ,sunday evening at #g p4m4 7with the exception of the summer period from late ,june to late ,september74 ,concerts are given either by guest artists or by the ,national ,gallery of ,art ,orchestra under the direction of ,richard ,bales4 ,the programs1 with intermission talks or interviews by the ,gallery staff1 are broadcast live over ,,wgms-,,am 7#egj7 and ,,fm 7#ajc4e74 ,seats1 which are not reserved1 are available after #f p4m4 ,,calendar ,,of ,,events ,the monthly ,calendar of ,events listing special exhibitions1 lectures1 concerts1 and films at the ,national ,gallery of ,art will be sent to you regularly1 free of charge1 if you fill out an application at either information desk4 ,,extension ,,service ,a variety of educational materials suitable for schools1 colleges1 and libraries can be borrowed from the ,gallery4 ,color slide programs1 with accompanying audio cassettes1 texts1 and study prints1 cover a wide range of subjects4 ,a number of films1 including 8,art in the ,western ,world0 and 8,the ,american ,vision10 are available4 ,all material is lent free of charge except for return postage4 ,for information1 apply to the office of the ,extension ,service4 ,,slide ,,lending ,,service ,slides of the ,gallery's collection are available as loans to organizations1 schools1 and colleges without charge4 ,for information1 apply to the slide library in the ,education ,department4 ,,photography ,,of ,,works ,,of ,,art ,photography for personal purposes1 with or without flash1 but not with a tripod1 is permitted throughout the ,gallery unless signs in a particular area indicate to the contrary4 ,application for permission to use a tripod should be made to the ,photographic ,services ,office1 ,monday through ,friday1 exclusive of legal holidays4 ,,permits ,,to ,,copy ,,works ,,of ,,art ,easels and stools are provided without charge for those individuals who have secured permission to copy works of art in the ,gallery4 ,application for permits should be made at the ,registrar's ,office4 ,letters of reference and examples of work are required before permission to copy may be granted4 ,no special permission is required for sketching without easels if only nonliquid materials1 such as pencil1 ballpoint pen1 or crayon1 are used4 ,,caf_/,,buffet ,the caf_/buffet is open every day of the year except ,christmas ,day and ,new ,year's ,day4 ,it is located at the ,concourse level and may be reached from the ,main ,floor via the ,east ,garden ,court and ,east ,lobby or from the #dth ,street ,plaza4 ,regular hours3 #aj a4m4 to #d p4m4 on weekdays and ,saturdays1 and #a p4m4 to #g p4m4 ,sundays4 ,summer hours3 ,during the period when the ,gallery is open until #i p4m41 the caf_/buffet remains open until #g3cj p4m4 on weekdays and ,saturdays4 ,sunday hours are #a p4m4 to #g p4m4 ,,smoking ,,rooms ,two lounges are provided for smoking3 the smoking room on the ,ground ,floor and the ,founder's ,room on the ,main ,floor near the ,rotunda4 ,smoking is also permitted in the caf_/buffet but is strictly prohibited in all halls and exhibition galleries4 ,,restrooms ,restrooms are located on the ,ground ,floor1 at the top of each staircase near the ,rotunda on the ,main ,floor1 and at the ,concourse level4 ,,first ,,aid ,an emergency room1 under the supervision of a trained nurse1 is available for first-aid treatment in case of accident or sudden illness4 ,it is located on the ,ground ,floor near the entrance to the ,auditorium4 ,the guards will direct visitors to this room on request4 ,,wheelchairs ,,strollers ,strollers for small children and wheelchairs are available from the guards at both entrances without charge4 ,attendants for pushing wheelchairs are not available4 ,,telephones ,pay-station telephone booths are on the ,ground ,floor near the stairways1 on the ,main ,floor near the ,rotunda1 and at the ,concourse level4 ,,guard ,,regulations ,the guards are under orders not to permit visitors to touch the paintings or sculpture under any circumstances4 ,fountain pens with fluid ink may not be used in the galleries4 ,smoking is forbidden in the exhibition areas4 ,,plants ,,and ,,flowers ,flowers and plants in the courts are grown in the ,national ,gallery's greenhouses and are changed frequently by the ,gallery's horticultural staff4 ,there are special floral displays at ,christmas and ,easter in both the ,garden ,courts and the ,rotunda4 ,board of ,trustees ,the ,chief ,justice of the ,united ,states1 ,chairman ,the ,secretary of ,state ,the ,secretary of the ,treasury ,the ,secretary of the ,smithsonian ,institution ,paul ,mellon ,john ,hay ,whitney ,franklin ,d4 ,murphy ,carlisle ,h4 ,humelsine ,john ,r4 ,stevenson ,officers and ,staff ,president3 ,paul ,mellon ,vice ,president3 ,john ,hay ,whitney ,director3 ,j4 ,carter ,brown ,assistant ,to the ,director for ,music3 ,richard ,bales ,assistant ,to the ,director for ,national ,programs3 ,w4 ,howard ,adams ,assistant ,to the ,director for ,public ,information3 ,katherine ,warwick ,assistant ,to the ,director for ,special ,events3 ,robert ,l4 ,pell ,construction ,manager3 ,hurley ,f4 ,offenbacher ,planning ,consultant3 ,david ,scott ,assistant ,director_/,chief ,curator3 ,charles ,parkhurst ,curators3 ,american ,painting3 ,william ,p4 ,campbell ,dutch and ,flemish ,painting3 ,arthur ,wheelock ,french ,painting3 ,david ,e4 ,rust ,graphic ,arts3 ,andrew ,c4 ,robison ,italian ,painting1 ,northern and ,later3 ,sheldon ,grossman ,italian ,painting1 ,early3 ,david ,alan ,brown ,northern ,european ,painting ,to #agjj3 ,john ,hand ,sculpture3 ,douglas ,lewis1 ,jr4 ,spanish ,painting3 ,anna ,m4 ,voris ,twentieth-century ,art3 ,e4 ,a4 ,carmean1 ,jr4 ,curator of ,education3 ,margaret ,i4 ,bouton ,head1 ,extension ,program ,development3 ,joseph ,j4 ,reis ,head1 ,art ,information ,service3 ,elise ,v4 ,h4 ,ferber ,chief ,librarian3 ,j4 ,m4 ,edelstein ,editor3 ,theodore ,s4 ,amussen ,head ,conservator3 ,victor ,c4 ,b4 ,covey ,chief1 ,design and ,installation3 ,gaillard ,f4 ,ravenel ,chief1 ,exhibitions1 ,loans and ,registration3 ,jack ,c4 ,spinx ,registrar3 ,peter ,davidock ,head ,photographer3 ,william ,j4 ,sumits ,treasurer3 ,lloyd ,d4 ,hayes ,assistant ,treasurer3 ,james ,w4 ,woodard ,administrator3 ,joseph ,g4 ,english ,assistant ,administrator3 ,george ,w4 ,riggs ,personnel ,officer3 ,jeremiah ,j4 ,barrett ,secretary and ,general ,counsel3 ,robert ,amory1 ,jr4 ,gifts and ,bequests ,the ,board of ,trustees has full power to accept gifts1 bequests1 or devises of works of art1 money1 or other personal or real property1 and either absolutely or in trust4 ,gifts and donations to the ,national ,gallery of ,art are deductible for ,federal income tax purposes within the limits provided by law1 and are welcomed in amounts of any size4 ,u4,s4 ,,government ,,printing ,,office3 #aigf ,o--#bjg-hjb ,illustration3 ,main floor ,main ,floor ,services ,men's ,room ,women's ,room ,checkroom ,information ,telephone ,elevator and ,stairways ,to3 #a ,ground ,floor #dth ,street ,entrance ,to3 ,concourse ,caf_/,buffet ,mall ,entrance ,illustration3 ,ground floor ,ground ,floor ,services ,women's ,room ,men's ,room ,checkroom ,information ,telephone ,first ,aid ,facilities for the ,handicapped ,sales ,shop ,special ,exhibitions ,constitution ,avenue ,entrance #dth ,street ,entrance ,auditorium ,elevator and ,stairway ,to3 #b ,main ,floor ,to3 ,concourse ,caf_/,buffet ,illustration3 ,main ,floor ,main ,floor ,schools of ,painting ,central ,italian and ,florentine ,renaissance ,north ,italian and ,venetian ,renaissance #agth and #ahth ,century ,italian ,spanish ,flemish and ,german ,dutch #agth and #ahth ,century ,french #aith ,century ,french ,british ,american ,special ,exhibitions ,sculpture ,west ,garden ,court ,rotunda ,east ,garden ,court ,mall ,entrance ,illustration3 ,map ,address3 ,national ,gallery of ,art #fth ,street and ,constitution ,avenue ,n4,w4 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 #bjefe ,telephone3 7#bjb7 #gcg-dbae ,cable ,address3 ,,natgal ,pennsylvania ,avenue ,constitution ,avenue #gth ,street ,u4 ,s4 ,capitol ,transcriber's ,notes --,silently corrected a few typos4 --,retained publication information from the printed edition3 this e,book is public-domain in the country of publication4 --,in the text versions only1 text in italics is delimited by underscores4