National Portrait Gallery
John Singer Sargent "Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler," 1893
This is an interesting museum because it's a two-in-one experience. The building hosts a collection of American Portraits as well as American painting and sculpture. The halls are marble and the each room is decorated to reflect a period in history. They have an amazing selection of modern art (on loan from the HIrshhorn) as well as Thayer portraits and American Marbles. The collection is somewhat eclectic especially when it's looked at with the temporary exhibitions in mind. While I was there I saw this year's portrait competition as well as a collection of Josephine Baker artifacts (a woman who became a Parisenne after the U.S. rejected her).
My favorite part of this museum is that each work has such reflexive signage. Next to each portrait there is a description of what was going on the artist's life when he painted the work. They're complimented with direct quotes from the artists, the sitters, or certain critics. There are also notations on the subject's life. The signage also makes note of geopolitical movement that were taking place during the time. Each painting tells a story and the text is interesting and comprehensive; constantly exploring how each work were called into being. I felt that I learned more about American history and politics when I visited the museum than when I took my last trip to the actual Museum of American History.
I chose this as my complimentary museum because the nature of the work is very similar to the Hirshhorn's, but the poetics are much more overt. It is not a static space, instead it is enlivened with living flowers and painted walls. The classicl furniature in each room tells its own story. I think that this is as much of an American history museum as it is an art museum. It houses hundreds of congressional portraits of presidents and other notable figures such as Benjamin Franklin. One of the exhibitions was a collection of portaits of important political figures made during the Cold War.
Eastman Johnson "The Girl I left Behind Me," 1870-75
The museum is a little off the map. It is just down the street from the White House and right in the middle of the financial district of the city. The outside structure is classically Romanesque like most of the public institutions in DC. White marble columns lit by changing blue and ping glows.
The gift shop offered the exact same things as the Hirshhorn did, the same Ted Naos learning tool and other decorative brick-a-brack.
I really adored this museum. I also thought that the hours were really convenient. It happens to be the only one of the Smithsonians open past 5:30 pm. It was easy to schedule a few visits after I had completed my day and found that it was the only thing open at the moment.