Background

The Museum Project represents my most ambitious New Year's resolution of 2010. I moved to Northern Virginia two years ago and, after the initial post-move binge of sightseeing, found that there was still so much of DC that I hadn't taken in. So this is it...I plan to visit all of the museums, monuments, and historical sites in the city over the coming year with a few select spots oustide the district added in for good measure.

Twyla Tharp said "Art is the only way of running away without leaving home"...with the exceptions of tequila and my current obsession with LOST, I think that she was right on the money. My hope is that running away with the Smithsonian will have fewer repercussions than a bottle of Patron.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

The National Gallery - West Building - Part 1

National Gallery West Building - Mall Entrance

The National Gallery was accepted on behalf of the people of the United States on March 17, 1941 (quite the gift from Andrew Mellon).  To celebrate its birthday month, I'm spending March getting to know all of the galleries of the West Building.  The building itself is immense and, when built, was the largest marble structure in the world.  It has more than 100 galleries housing the permanent collection with additional space for special exhibits. 

I started with a modest tour of the first 25 galleries featuring the 13th to 16th century Italian and some 16th century Spanish Art....or as I now think of them, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle galleries.  True, Donatello and Michelangelo aren't featured, but the only Leonardo da Vinci in the U.S. is there as well as a plethora of Raphaels. 

Ginevra de' Benci                                The Small Cowper Madonna
Leonardo da Vinci - 1474                                       Raphael - 1505

It is fascinating to see the transition over several hundred years from the beautiful, but two-dimensional icons of the 13th and 14th centuries, to paintings and portraits with a sense of motion and depth.  I think that my personal favorites were Raphael's St. George Slaying the Dragon and an exquisite triptych originally painted as a large altar piece done by Agnolo Gaddi in 1380.  The pinks, reds, and golds in the altar piece are so crisp and bright, it is hard to believe that they were painted over 600 years ago. 


Gaddi's Altar Piece - 1380

Saint George and the Dragon - Raphael - 1506

Next visit...onward to Germany and the Netherlands.
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