National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art, in Washington

The National Gallery of Art is one of the greatest art museums of the United States, on the National Mall, in a building with the appearance of an ancient temple. The Washington audio-guided tour stops here to evoke this temple of fine arts, setting of masterpieces of Western painting and sculpture.

The temple of fine arts

This fine building, which recalls the columns of an ancient temple, is the National Gallery of Art, one of the most prestigious museums of the United States. Born in the middle of the twentieth century thanks to the donation of an exceptional private collection to the nation, the museum established itself as one of the greatest picture galleries of the world. Its west building, of neoclassical style, is a majestic palace of marble topped with a vast domed rotunda, while an east building, with a modern and geometric architecture, was added to it later to host modern and contemporary art; the two are linked by an underground passage. The collections gather masterpieces covering centuries of history of Western art: paintings of the great European masters, from the Italian Renaissance to the French impressionists, sculptures, drawings and decorative arts, as well as a rich panorama of American art. The museum keeps notably the only painting of Leonardo da Vinci visible on the American continent. Entry there is free, faithful to the vocation of access of all to culture. A temple of fine arts and a setting of masterpieces, the National Gallery of Art is a must-see stop of the discovery of Washington.

What to see

You admire one of the most prestigious art museums of the United States, born from a donation in the middle of the twentieth century, whose neoclassical west building topped with a rotunda and modern east building shelter masterpieces of Western art, from the masters of the Renaissance to the impressionists, including the only painting of Leonardo da Vinci visible in America, with free entry. The National Gallery of Art is a temple of fine arts in Washington. It is a must-see stop, to be explored on foot.

Practical information

The National Gallery of Art lies on the National Mall, in Washington, reachable on foot and by public transport. Entry is generally free; the visit follows its own hours and conditions, which vary. It is best to check them before coming.

What can you see at the National Gallery of Art of Washington?

Masterpieces covering centuries of Western art: paintings of the great European masters, from the Italian Renaissance to the French impressionists, sculptures, drawings and American art, including the only painting of Leonardo da Vinci visible on the American continent; the museum, with free entry, occupies a neoclassical west building and a modern east building.

Where is the National Gallery of Art in Washington?

On the National Mall, in Washington, in the United States.