National Gallery of Art Washington DC Tour

Cultural Tour of the National Gallery of Art, Washington DC
Andrew William Mellon, an art collector and investor hailing from Pittsburgh, designed and presented Washington's famed National Gallery of Art to American citizens. Mellon came to the U.S. capital in the year 1921 and took up the post of U.S. "Secretary of the Treasury." He felt the nation ought to have an art gallery just like other major States. Consequently, in the year 1936, he contacted President Roosevelt and offered to contribute his splendid art collection to a new national museum, which he proposed he would construct using his personal funds. Hence, with Congressional and Presidential support, the Washington National Gallery of Art was opened in March of 1937 (National Gallery of Art, 2016). Tour of the Gallery
I undertook a virtual visit to Washington, DC's National Gallery of Art on September 4, 2016 at approximately 11:30am. The gallery's entryway is massive, and left me awestruck. The first view had me certain that my visit would definitely be highly enjoyable and educational. The gallery's West Building with its formal public entryways on all sides is classically styled, although developed using the era's most advanced technology available. The main floor of the structure centers on a Pantheon-type Rotunda. To its west and east, barrel-vaulted statue halls guide viewers to beautiful garden courts, whose fountains and greenery are a relaxing haven for the visitor. Interlinked galleries featuring exhibits extend to these huge public areas' south and north such that visitors are able to conveniently start their tour in a certain room and progress across the entire art collection without having to retrace their steps (National Gallery of Art, 2016).

I learnt from my virtual tour that Mellon had expected a tremendous growth in the National Gallery collection, beyond the original building's capacity. This expansion in the collection led to the construction of its East Building in the year 1971. The newer structure has a modernist style, with a massive triangular atrium that forms the spectacular heart of the structure's internal public space. The atrium is covered by a sculptural space framework, which permits the entry ample amount of natural light into the building. A street- level paved plaza and underground concourse link the two edifices. A gushing waterfall and a total of 7 glass tetrahedrons illuminate, and bring movement to, the subterranean space (National Gallery of Art, 2016).

The gallery portrays exhibits by nation of origin and era, in suitably-designed galleries. For example, Italian Renaissance art gallery walls feature hand-painted plastering and Italian travertine paneling, with door- and base- surround decorations and inbuilt recesses for displaying sculptures. On the other hand, seventeenth-century Dutch artworks are portrayed in galleries having wood paneling for bringing to mind their real setting (National Gallery of Art, 2016).

A monumental sculpture garden can be found to the original edifice's west. In the midst of arcing paths and curvilinear native plant beds, I was delighted to come across Louise Bourgeois' Spidery, Roxy Paine's Graft, Roy Lichtenstein's House I, and Barry Flanagan's Thinker on a Rock. The heart of this garden is a fountain and round reflecting pool (that becomes the ideal space for ice-skating in winter) (National Gallery of Art, 2016). Leonardo da Vinci's Works
With da Vinci being a personal favorite, I was drawn to the following masterpieces of his, during the tour. The Last Supper (1495-1498)
This mural was sketched by the artist on the Italian Sta Maria delle Grazie Convent's back dining-room wall. In the painting, da Vinci portrays a historic Biblical moment -- a gathering of Christ and his disciples (a day prior to his being betrayed), where they partook of a meal together, where Jesus prophesized what was to come, and had their feet washed, signifying that all men were equal before God. He also provided the men clear orders on future eating and drinking etiquette, in memory of him. The day indicated the Eucharist's first celebration, a ritual Christians continue to perform to this day. To be precise, da Vinci's painting portrays, precisely, the part of the tale where Christ reveals he would be betrayed before sunrise. All twelve disciples react to this piece of information with varying degrees of astonishment, distress, and anger. Considerable interest in this painting has, today, revolved around its hidden details. But most viewers fail to see the mindboggling perspective displayed. The walls' sharp angling goes back to an apparently distant rear wall, with the windows revealing the sky and hills beyond. The background increases the sense of serenity around Jesus's figure (Leonardo da Vinci; Paintings, Drawings, Quotes, Biography, 2011-2016). Madonna (1452 -- 1519)
In his early days as an artist, numerous da Vinci drawings and paintings focused on Madonna and the Child. Da Vinci captured the two in precious, emotional, and private moments. A first look at the painting reflects a cheerful theme, with Madonna's face showing obvious affection; however, concealed in the painting is also an element of loss and grief a Cruciferae family flower representing a cross). Leonardo's personal note on one of the drawing indicates this painting (Benois Madonna) is probably one among his "Virgin" paintings started in end-1478, with Madonna with the Carnation being the other (Leonardo da Vinci; Paintings, Drawings, Quotes, Biography, 2011-2016). Portrait of Ginevra de' Benci [obverse] (1474-1478)
Ginevra de' Benci was a rich Florentine banker's daughter, whose portrait da Vinci painted somewhere during the time of Ginevra's marriage at the age of sixteen. This is one of da Vinci's first experiments with oil paints, as evidenced by some surface wrinkling, suggesting lack of proper control. The portrait has progressively intensifying veils of murky shadow, with the girl placed in the open, in an era when society continued to shelter women carefully at home, and their only view of landscapes was through windows. Her three -- quarter pose, depicting steady reserve, counts among the foremost Italian portraits of this style. Spiky, evergreen juniper leaves frame her face -- juniper symbolizes the girl's chastity, the most valued virtue in women, during Renaissance times (National Gallery of Art, 2016).

One marginally smaller eye makes the young woman appear withdrawn. Unlike his other portraits, da Vinci's Ginevra appears petulant, harsh and proud. Whereas the left eye appears to look directly at viewers, the right is seeing something invisible to us. The woman in the portrait has no eyebrows -- a custom common among Renaissance Florentine women. Her expression probably indicates some degree of displeasure with her impending nuptials (Leonardo da Vinci; Paintings, Drawings, Quotes, Biography, 2011-2016). Summary
This highly enjoyable and interesting tour was required for the Humanities 111 class. The expansive gallery with its wealth of art takes viewers into a whole new world. I would definitely consider visiting the museum physically, at some point in the future.

References

Leonardo da Vinci; Paintings, Drawings, Quotes, Biography. (2011-2016). Retrieved September 4, 2016, from Leonardo da Vinc: http://www.leonardodavinci.net/

National Gallery of Art. (2016). A Brief History. Retrieved September 4, 2016, from National Gallery of Art: http://www.nga.gov/content/ngaweb/about.html