National Gallery of Art

Vincent Van Gogh



Leonardo da Vinci

Auguste Renoir

Washington's National Gallery of Art, a part of the Smithsonian, is one of the most wonderful art museums in the world.  The collection is phenomenal, and its special events like Friday Jazz programs bring the world to its door.  Shelly and I have enjoyed several visits to see the paintings and sculptures displayed there.  Right now, there is a special showing, with limited hours, of cut-out drawings by Henri Matisse in the East Building.  Normally, the East Building is reserved for 20th Century art, but there is a special showing of the 17th century Dutch artist Gabriel Metsu there now.  Until seeing the exhibit, I had not heard of him among the Dutch Masters like Rembrandt, who was a contemporary.  Metsu's exhibition, of which there are about 35 paintings, is well worth the visit.  The National Gallery has something for everyone.  I've been a partisan of Vincent Van Gogh, and his works at NGA, while limited, are of high quality.  I particularly like Farmhouse in Provence as it shows that "Arles Yellow" Van Gogh found in the south of France during a very prolific time in his career.  Bottom line, while you're in Washington, see the National Gallery of Art . . .you could spend days there, but even a restful afternoon will make your week (and your life) just a bit better. 

Henri Matisse