Museo d'arte

National Portrait Gallery

Name: National Portrait Gallery
Address: Washington, DC, US

Consigliato da 172 persone del luogo,

Consigli della gente del posto

Kirsten

March 7, 2022

One of my favorite museums in DC.

Karen

March 25, 2021

The National Portrait Gallery was authorized and founded by Congress in 1962 with the mission to acquire and display portraits of individuals who have made significant contributions to the history, development, and culture of the people of the United States. Today, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery continues to narrate the multi-faceted and ever-changing story of America through the individuals who have shaped its culture. Through the visual arts, performing arts, and new media, the Portrait Gallery presents poets and presidents, visionaries and villains, actors and activists whose lives form our national identity. As the nation's only complete collection of presidential portraits outside the White House, the "America's Presidents" exhibition lies at the heart of the Portrait Gallery's mission to tell the country's history through the individuals who have shaped it. Gilbert Stuart's "Lansdowne" painting of George Washington is the grand introductory image to this exhibition. In 2000, the Portrait Gallery was in danger of losing this painting—which had been on loan since the museum's opening in 1968—when its owner decided to sell it. A generous gift from the Donald W. Reynolds Foundation allowed the "Lansdowne" painting to be purchased as a gift to the nation. "America's Presidents" continues to acquire portraits—including paintings, sculpture, photographs, caricatures, video, and time-based media—of each succeeding president. Over the years the collections, which were initially restricted to paintings, prints, drawings, and engravings, have grown to over 23,000 items in all media, from daguerreotypes to digital. In the late 1990s, the Portrait Gallery began commissioning portraits of presidents, beginning with George H. W. Bush. In 2006, the Portrait Gallery hosted the first Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition, now a prestigious triennial event, which also brings commissioned works into the collection. The 2013 winner was Bo Gehring, whose close-up video and sound portrait of jazz musician Esperanza Spalding draws delight and praise from visitors.

Daisy

February 19, 2020

This museum is located off the National Mall, so it might be overlooked on your typical Smithsonian-crawl. But it is not to be missed!

Jason

November 19, 2019

My favorite museum. It opens later (11am) and stays open later (7pm) than the other Smithsonian museums, which all close at 5pm. There's great restaurants in that area as well.

Emilee

November 11, 2019

The Obama portraits have catapulted the Smithsonian museum to the top tier of the city’s attractions by dramatically increasing attendance. The Old Patent Office Building — the historic home to the National Portrait Gallery and the Smithsonian American Art Museum — had a record-breaking 2.3 million visitors in 2018, about a million more than in 2017. The portrait hangs on its own wall at the end of the “America’s Presidents” gallery, which features former commanders in chief. The Sherald portrait of Michelle Obama is displayed in a third-floor gallery alongside a Wiley portrait of LL Cool J and portraits of Beyoncé, Denyce Graves and Toni Morrison. Unveiled with fanfare on Feb. 12, 2018, the portraits attracted attention for the historic choice of African American artists as well as their popular subjects. The paintings, which were commissioned by the gallery and paid for with private funds, are part of its permanent collection.