National Gallery of Art: Washington PDF
Preview National Gallery of Art: Washington
National Gallery ofArt Washington National Gallery ofArt Washington with 312 illustrations, 3og in color Thames and Hudson National Gallery ofArt Frontispiece JEAN-HONORE FRAGONARD, A YoungGirlReading (seep. 173) Designedandproducedby LibraryofCongressCatalog Thetextsinthisvolumewere ThamesandHudson,London CardNumber90-71649 contributedby Anycopyofthisbookissued AllRightsReserved. Nopart FlorenceE.Coman bythepublisherasapaper- ofthispublicationmaybe NancyE.Edwards backissoldsubjecttothe reproducedortransmittedin GailFeigenbaum conditionthatitshallnotby anyformorbyanymeans, FrancesFeldman wayoftradeorotherwisebe electronicormechanical, MargaretMorganGrasselli lent,resold,hiredoutor includingphotocopy,record- JohnHand otherwisecirculatedwithout ingoranyotherinformation GretchenHirschauer thepublisher'spriorconsent storageandretrievalsystem, AliceKreindler inanyformofbindingor withoutpriorpermissionin AlisonLuchs coverotherthanthatin writingfromthepublisher. DonnaMann whichitispublishedand DonaldMyers withoutasimilarcondition Printedandboundin MargaretO'Neil includingthesewordsbeing Singapore MariaPrather imposedonasubsequent LynnRussell purchaser. JulieSpringer JillSteinberg Thiscompilation JeremyStrick © 1992Thamesand SusanB.Taylor HudsonLtd,London ArthurWheelock Reproductionsandtexts WilliamJ.Williams ©1992NationalGallery ChristopherB.With ofArt MarthaWolff Firstpublishedinthe UnitedStatesin 1992by ThamesandHudson Inc., 500FifthAvenue,NewYork, NewYork 10110 Reprinted 1993 Contents Foreword 6 Italian Painting ofthe XIII—early XVI centuries 8 Netherlandish and Flemish Painting 34 German Painting 54 Spanish Painting 74 Italian Painting ofthe XVI—XVIII centuries 94 Dutch Painting 120 British Painting 140 XVI— XIX French Painting ofthe early centuries 158 XIX French Painting ofthe later century 180 American Painting ofthe XVIII—early XIXcenturies 206 XX American Painting ofthe XIX—early centuries 228 XX Painting and Sculpture ofthe century 252 XIV—XIX European Sculpture ofthe centuries 278 Decorative Arts 306 Prints, Drawings, and Photographs 312 Index ofArtists 328 Foreword Museum visitors are travelers through time and space. Staying within the realm ofthe National Gallery ofArt's permanent collection, it is possible, moving from gallery to gallery, tojourney fromtheByzantineempireofthethirteenthcenturyto contemporary America, with innumerable options and diversions along the way. A good guide is like an accurate map. It can convey the dis- tinguishing features of a landscape, suggest its terrain, and give the user, whether a first-time or repeat traveler, a sense ofwhat to expect along the way. This publication plays much the part ofa map, giving a valuable overview of a crucial part of the Gallery's domain, its permanent collection ofpaintings, sculpture, decorative arts, and the graphic arts. The book follows the Gallery's policy ofgrouping the collection according to school while arranging it along general chronological lines within those divisions. Here, in a convenient format, itis possible to get a sense ofthe remarkable works ofart that have been secured for the nation. The story ofthe collection and the institution thathouses and cares foritisahappyandinspiring one. In 1937 AndrewW. Mellon, a man whose life embraced both public service and private wealth, founded the National Gallery ofArt with a three-part gift. Itincludedhis own collection, a splendid physical plant to shelter it as well as the many additional donations thathave comebecauseofit, and anendowment for certain key activities. The Gallery opened to the public in March 1941 andhasbeenblessedwithsteadygrowthandprogresseversince. This successful undertaking has been continuously reinforced by the public-privatepartnership conceivedfortheGalleryfromitscreation. Each work ofart in the permanent collection is a private donation, acquired either directly or with contributed funds. Although the Gallery hasneverrelied on federally appropriated funds for obtaining art, it has depended on the Federal Government for essential support. Enabling legislation, passed by the 75th Congress, assured the maintenanceofasecurehomeforthenation'sart collection anda staff to care for it. The fruits ofthis public-private partnership were made dramaticallyevidentonceagainin 1978, whentheEastBuildingofthe National Gallery opened. This new building was a gift from Andrew Mellon's children, Ailsa Mellon Bruce and Paul Mellon, and the foundation they created and named for their father. Perhaps the most often and best perceived result ofthe cooperation between the public andprivate sectorsis the Gallery's continuing ability to openits doors without charging an admission fee. The enrichment and presentation ofthe permanent collection is a multi-faceted endeavor that depends on curatorial, conservation, publication, and education programs of the highest standards. The Gallery is also committed to a dynamic and ambitious program of temporary exhibitions. Working internationally to borrow art from public and private collections, this institution has been able to exhibit aremarkablerangeoftheworld'sbestarttoanaudiencethathascome to average more than six million visitors annually. Many of these temporaryexhibitionsamplifytheGallery'simpressiveholdingsinthe visualarts. Itis thatpermanent core that thisvolumeaddressesand the reader is urged to visit. Earl A. Powell III Director, National Gallery ofArt ,
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