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| The East Building of the National Gallery of Art | |
- This article is about the National Gallery of the United States, for other National Galleries, see National Gallery
The National Gallery of Art is an art museum owned and managed by the government of the United States. It comprises two buildings, the East Building and the West Building, linked by an underground passage and both located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. The NGA is affiliated with the Smithsonian Institution, though it is governed under a separate charter.
The NGA was created by Congress in 1937, with funds for construction and a substantial art collection donated by Andrew W. Mellon. The original museum building, now known as the West Building, opened on March 17, 1941. Its design by architect John Russell Pope is neo-classical, with a gigantic columned portico and a massive dome reminiscent of the PantheonThe Pantheon is a building in Rome which was originally built as a temple to all the gods of the Roman state religion, but has been a Christian church since the 7th century AD. It is the only building from the Greco-Roman world which is completely intact (as is Pope's other notable Washington creation, the Jefferson MemorialThe Jefferson Memorial is a monument in Washington, DC to Thomas Jefferson. It combines a low neo-classical saucer dome with a portico. By 1930, there were monuments in Washington commemorating great United States presidents such as Abraham Lincoln and Ge), except for the West Building's symmetrically attached, extended wings. The design of the East Building by noted architect I.M. Pei is also geometrical, but fragmented or faceted by comparison to the West Building's cool classicism; from above, it appears as if made of interlocking diamonds. The East Building opened in 1978Events January January 1 The Copyright Act of 1976 takes effect, making sweeping changes to United States copyright law. January 1 Air India's Boeing 747 explodes near Bombay 213 dead. January 4 Referendum in Chile supports policies of Augusto Pinochet.. The NGA also opened an adjacent sculpture garden in 1999For the album by Prince, see 1999 (album 1999 is a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar), and was designated the International Year of Older Persons by the UN. Events Kosovo War Former child star Gary Coleman files for bankruptcy Y2K prep. As a federally-owned museum, entry to both buildings of the National Gallery is free of charge.
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| The West Building of the National Gallery of Art |
The West Building has an extensive collection of paintings and sculptures by European masters from the medieval period through the late 19th centuryAlternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical ( 18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801- 1900. Events The Little Ice Age ended, as well as pre- 20th century19th century 20th century 21st century more centuries) Decades: 1900s 1910s 1920s 1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s As a means of recording the passage of time, the 20th century was that century which lasted from 1901- 2000 in the sense of the Gre works by American artists. Highlights of the collection include many paintings by Vermeer, Rembrandt, Monet, Van Gogh, and the only painting by Leonardo Da Vinci within the United States.
The East Building focuses on modern and contemporary art, with a collection including works by Picasso, Matisse, Jackson Pollock, Andy Warhol, and Alexander Calder. The East Building also contains the main offices of the NGA and a large research facility.
| Comparing the two buildings from above; USGS satellite image of the West and East Buildings of the National Gallery of Art, taken April 26, 2002. Please note that the perspective has been distorted due to the imaging process. |
