National Gallery of Art
The National Gallery of Art is a museum in Washington, D.C., with collections spanning Western art from the Middle Ages to the present.
West Building: The National Gallery of Art building opened in 1941, designed by John Russell Pope in a neoclassical style. It houses much of the museum’s European painting and sculpture from the Middle Ages through the nineteenth century.
Andrew Mellon: An American financier and public official who donated art and funds to establish the National Gallery of Art. His gift of art and construction funding made the museum possible.
Art conservation: The professional study and treatment of artworks to preserve their material condition and historical evidence. Conservation work stabilizes objects and informs decisions about their display.
Smithsonian American Art Museum: A Washington, D.C., museum devoted to American art, part of the Smithsonian Institution. Its national scope overlaps, but its defining focus is art made in the United States.
East Building: The National Gallery of Art building designed by I. M. Pei, opened in 1978, and devoted largely to modern and contemporary art. Its collections and galleries extend the museum’s holdings into modern art.
Samuel H. Kress: An American businessman and philanthropist whose foundation donated major collections of European art to museums. His foundation’s gifts substantially expanded the National Gallery’s holdings of Italian art.
Art history: The study of art’s forms, makers, contexts, and historical development. The museum’s collection and research programs support art-historical study across centuries.
National Portrait Gallery: A Washington, D.C., museum presenting portraits of people who shaped the United States. It shares a national-museum setting but organizes its collection around portraiture and biography.
Sculpture Garden: An outdoor sculpture park on the National Mall, operated by the National Gallery of Art. It adds a landscaped setting for large-scale sculpture to the museum’s campus.
Paul Mellon: An American philanthropist and art collector who supported the National Gallery of Art and donated works to it. His gifts strengthened the museum’s collections, especially in British art.