I spent my afternoon at the American Art and Portrait Gallery.
I enjoyed it far more than I expected. I thought I might see the whole thing
in a little over an hour.. but spent hours and hours there and arrived
just in time to meet Mike at Fuddruckers for dinner down the street.
I actually came up out of the wrong end of the metro.
And was surprise to find myself here.
Happy to see our meeting place.
All the China Town signs are in English and Chinese.
It wasn’t far to the gallery.
The building started out as the U.S. Patent Office in 1836.
They’ve done a beautiful job renovating it.
It has this beautiful enclosed courtyard where you can eat
lunch, hang out and listen to a live band playing.
Can you see the wave in the glass ceiling?
This Cadillac weather vain was my favorite in the Folk Art exhibit.
I expected the museum to showcase American artist and their art..
which it did.. but with an emphasis on famous Americans.
A portrait of Pocahontas.
Benjamin Franklin
Loved this little painting
Thomas Edison
See the writing to the left of the painting?
Each painting of a famous American had a short biography next to it.
Ronald Reagon
Will Rogers
Love the bears.
Angel 1887 by Abbott Handerson Thayer from Boston.
Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler
by John Singer Sargent
Cafe’ at Biskra, Algeria
by Frederick Arthur Bridgman
born in Tuskegee, AL in 1847
I loved this painting.. the little boy is reading the
Bible to his mother, who has her hands folded in prayer.
Sunday Morning 1877
by Thomas Waterman Wood from VT.
I like his other paintings too.. Google him.
Loved the movement in this sculpture.
George W. Bush
Laura Bush – I thought if someone were to paint
a portrait of me.. I’d like to look like this.
Loved this photo of Orson Welles
by Harry Warnecke – The first photographer to use
color photographs.. He worked hard to convince
the New York Daily News that it was worth the
expense to publish a color photo once a week
in their Sunday News supplement.
Lucile Ball
photo also by Harry Warnecke
Katharine Hepburn
Love this pose, too.
Then on the 4th floor there was even more art to see..
in the Lunder Conservation Center.
These three floors make up the fourth floor.. instead of rooms
of art they contain shelves and cases and drawers of art..
with just enough room to walk between and view the collection.
It’s like the attic of the museum. So wish I could see the NGA’s attic..
Then on one end there is Conservation Center..
Where you can walk down and watch their conservationist at work.
They have a room for everything from the frames (above)
to paintings and sculptures. Each room has a touch screen video
player in front that explains how they do the restorations in that room
and shows examples of wonderful before and afters.
What a fun job.
Love,
Jenny
did you love Lucy?
Isn't she beautiful?