National Gallery of Art, West Building

National Gallery of Art, West Building Review

The two buildings of the National Gallery hold one of the world's foremost collections of paintings, sculptures, and graphics, from the 13th to the 21st century. If you want to view the museum's holdings in (more or less) chronological order, it's best to start your exploration in the West Building. Opened in 1941, the domed West Building was a gift to the nation from industrialist and treasury secretary Andrew Mellon. The rotunda, with 24 marble columns surrounding a fountain topped with a statue of Mercury, sets the stage for the masterpieces on display in more than 100 galleries.

Highlights

The only painting by Leonardo da Vinci on display in the Western Hemisphere, Ginevra de' Benci is the centerpiece of the collection's comprehensive survey of Italian Renaissance paintings and sculpture; it also includes Raphael's Alba Madonna and Sandro Botticelli's Adoration of the Magi.

The masters of painting light, Rembrandt van Rijn and Johannes Vermeer, anchor the magnificent collection of Dutch and Flemish works.

The gallery of gorgeous French Impressionist masterworks by such superstars as Claude Monet, Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas is unmissable. Currently undergoing renovation, it was scheduled at this writing to reopen in summer 2011.

Walk beneath flowering trees in the sculpture garden, on the Mall between 7th and 9th streets. Granite walkways take you through a shaded landscape and sculptures from the museum's permanent collection, including Roy Lichtenstein's playful House I; Miró's Personnage Gothique, Oiseau-Eclair; and Isamu Noguchi's Great Rock of Inner Seeking. The huge central fountain becomes a skating rink in winter.

Tips

There are many free docent-led tours every day, and a recorded tour of highlights is available for a $5 rental fee on the main floor adjacent to the rotunda. For a cheat-sheet tour, pick up the laminated "What to See in One Hour" (the same guide is available for the East Building and on the Web); it pinpoints 12 must-see masterworks. The Micro Gallery near the rotunda maintains computerized information on more than 1,700 works of art from the permanent collection. Touch-screen monitors provide access to color images, text, animation, and sounds to help you better understand—and appreciate—the works on display.The gallery has a full calendar of concerts, films, lectures, and other events, many free to the public. Among the most popular is the free "Jazz in the Garden" series, held Friday evenings in the sculpture garden throughout the summer. Take a break at one of the museum's cafés, or, during summer, in the sculpture garden's Pavilion Cafe.