Over 50 years and across many styles and mediums, the artist probed his roots.
The nation was heading toward civil war, which would erupt in 1965.
The strength and vitality of the people who helped establish the new Dutch Republic are nowhere better captured than in the work of Frans Hals, who was the preeminent portrait painter in Haarlem, the most important artistic center of Holland in the early part of the seventeenth century. This unidentified sitter—one of Hals’ most impressive portraits—was sixty years old when the painting was made, according to the artist’s inscription.
America’s National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation.
Peter Paul Rubens (1577–1640), one of the greatest masters of the 17th century, painted this masterpiece as a young artist in Rome. Rubens depicted a moment of high drama in this popular Greek myth that was famously recounted in Ovid’s Metamorphoses (c.
Apollo 117, no. 609 (May 2013): 20, color repro. 2015 "Art for the Nation: The
vision for the National Gallery focuses on expanding the museum’s service to the nation
Gentile da Fabriano’s patrons were princes, the church, and various city governments as well as the customary merchant clients. His art has a cosmopolitan flavor, in which brilliant color, textural richness, and ornamental pattern are combined.
America’s National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation.
A pair of portraits of Emilia di Spilimbergo and her younger sister Irene was begun in about 1558, most likely in anticipation of their prospective marriages. The initial reason may have been to present two highly eligible, aristocratic young women to potential husbands, or the portraits may have been intended as permanent mementos for the sisters’ family after they were married.
America’s National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation.
Sandro Botticelli, a Florentine, painted several versions of the theme of the Adoration of the Magi. The Magi, or wise men, were particularly venerated in Florence, as one of the city’s leading religious confraternities was dedicated to them.
Mellon à la nation américaine.� Revue de l’arte ancien et moderne 71, no. 376
[3] This analogy was made by Marla Prather in Art for the Nation: Gifts in Honor
See their paintings, sculptures, installations, and more—all new additions to our collection.
Smith Jaune Quick-to-See Smith (Citizen of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Nation
Anthony van Dyck painted this portrait of an upper-class Antwerp woman around 1618, shortly after he registered as a master painter with the Antwerp Saint Luke’s Guild. At that time, Antwerp’s long-established portrait tradition emphasized a sitter’s virtuous character through restrained gestures and a direct gaze.
America’s National Gallery of Art: A Gift to the Nation.
