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Corcoran Gallery of Art Review
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Corcoran Gallery of Art
- Address: 500 17th St NW, White House area, Washington, DC | Map It
- Phone: 202/639-1700
- www.corcoran.org
- Category: Museums/Galleries
- Location: White House area
Fodor's Review:
The Corcoran is Washington's largest non-Federal art museum, as well as its first art museum. Founded "for the purpose of encouraging American Genius," the Corcoran's extensive collection of 16,000 works of 18th-, 19th-, and 20th-century American art, represents most significant American artists, as well as a fine collection of European art. At the heart of the Corcoran's collections are masterworks by the great early American artists: John Copley, Gilbert Stuart, Rembrandt Peale, Mary Cassatt, and John Singer Sargent. When Hiram Powers's Greek Slave -- the first publicly exhibited, life-size American sculpture of a nude human figure (a woman with her wrists chained) was exhibited to 19-century audiences, it was considered so shocking that separate viewing hours were established for men and women; children under 16 weren't allowed to see it at all. Naturally, crowds flocked by the thousands to view what became known as the most famous work of American art.
The museum's blend of old and new -- you can browse through paintings by Rembrandt and Renoir, then watch a performance artist paint herself blue in an installation -- and photography collection are also among its great strengths.
The Corcoran's Sunday gospel brunch is a sensory delight. Gospel groups perform as a sumptuous brunch buffet is served in the sunlit atrium; it runs select weekends (check in advance), 10:30-2. The $24.95 admission includes entry to the museum. There's free live jazz every first and third Wednesday of the month, 12:30-1:30. There are free docent-led walk-in tours Wednesday through Saturday at noon. Additional free tours are at 7:30 Thursday evenings, and 2:30 on weekends. The museum holds frequent concerts, lectures, and special events; check the Web site to see what's on.
The museum shop has unusual objects and jewelry; the hallway off the atrium displays original works by Corcoran artists, from early-American masters to local rising stars, for sale.
- Cost: $14
- Open: Sun., Mon., and Wed. 10-6, Thurs. 10-9, Fri. and Sat. 10-5
- Metro: Farragut W or Farragut N
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