National Gallery of Art in Washington

I recently took a trip to DC and, having heard much about the museum, I managed to carve out two hours (skiving off work) to visit the art gallery, even though I was only in town for three days. Impressionist Section There’s a special exhibition of French Impressionist paintings currently running until January. The most famous piece is “Impression, Sunrise.” Make sure to catch it while you can; after this, you’ll have to go to Paris to see it. 🌅 Near the special exhibition is the permanent Impressionist collection, where you can find one of my favorites, “Woman with a Parasol.” The Impressionist focus on light and shadow brings this painting to life with vibrant colors and a sense of immediacy. It’s like being transported back to a sunny afternoon in France over 100 years ago, viewing Monet’s family through his eyes. 🎨 “The Japanese Bridge” is another well-known piece. Since Impressionists are all about light and shadow, Monet painted this scene multiple times at different hours. Other paintings of the same view can be seen in Paris, Chicago, and Boston. 🌉 You can also see Van Gogh’s works here, but it seems there was a reason his self-portraits were not on display. 🎨 Medieval to Renaissance Section Since art from this period often served religion and the characters in the paintings can be quite rigid (sacred), I personally don’t fancy the Medieval paintings. I went straight to see “Ginevra de’ Benci” by da Vinci, which is a highlight of the collection. 🖼️ Another recommendation is Anne’s “Still Life with Flowers and Fruit,” a masterpiece of still-life painting. The flowers are so vivid and lifelike, they almost seem to reach out from the canvas. 🌺 There were many other wonderful paintings, but due to time constraints, I could only glance at them. I plan to go back for a more detailed look when I have more time. Also, to my surprise, I found out that the art gallery is free to enter! 🎉 #ArtGallery #Washington #USA #NationalGalleryOfArt #Impressionism #Monet #WomanwithaParasol