National Gallery of Art-What's New

Opening July 4
An Antiquity of Imagination: Tullio Lombardo and Venetian High Renaissance Sculpture
Through November 1, 2009
West Building Main Floor

In the first exhibition dedicated to Venetian Renaissance sculptor Tullio Lombardo (c. 1455–1532), his romantic approach to portraiture is revealed in four of his greatest marble carvings, which are joined by eight related works from his closest circle. Tullio's unprecedented masterpieces of Renaissance marble carving, never before seen in the United States. At the center of this focus exhibition are two double portraits carved in high relief from single blocks of marble: A Couple (c.1490/1495) and the so-called "Bacchus and Ariadne" (c.1505). The sensuously smooth flesh of these ideally beautiful young men and women, portrayed partially nude, contrasts with intricate detail carving in costume elements and in hair that surges with movement. Their restless expressions, with parted lips and wide-open eyes that seem to gaze into the distance, suggest states of reverie, anxiety, or yearning. They depart dramatically from conventions of late 15th-century Venetian portraiture, typically formal, reserved, and confined almost exclusively to painting. Whether Tullio's busts were really meant as portraits remains a mystery.

Image: The Budapest Horse: A Leonardo da Vinci Puzzle Opening July 3
The Budapest Horse: A Leonardo da Vinci Puzzle
Through September 7, 2009
West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G42

The Rearing Horse and Mounted Warrior, a bronze statuette from the Museum of Fine Arts (Szépm?vészeti Múzeum), Budapest, is the focus of recent technical examinations by National Gallery of Art conservators and is also the centerpiece of this small exhibition, the intriguing work is joined by two additional bronze horses and two warriors associated with Leonardo da Vinci from international collections, along with two Renaissance bronze horses by known masters for comparison. Illustrative panels present evidence related to the works' origins, including reproductions of drawings by Leonardo, x-radiographs, and computer models.

The Art of Power:
Royal Armor and Portraits from Imperial Spain
Through November 1, 2009
West Building, Main Floor

This unprecedented exhibition, which explores how armor was used to cultivate the image of royal power in late 15th- to 18th-century Spain, highlights some 75 armors and paintings, in addition to magnificent tapestries and works on paper that depict armor worn in the courtly, chivalric context of parades, pageants, and jousting tournaments and occasionally, battles. Armor from the renowned Spanish Royal Armory in Madrid will be paired for the first time with portraits by masters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Alonso Sánchez Coello, Anthony van Dyck, and Diego Velázquez depicting emperors and kings wearing the same armor.

Judith Leyster, 1609–1660
Through November 29, 2009
West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 50a

In celebration of Judith Leyster's (1609–1660) 400th birthday, the Gallery will showcase her expressive Self-Portrait (c. 1630) as the focal point of a small exhibition that will include 10 of Leyster's finest works from American and European collections. Leyster's oeuvre consists of a range of subjects, including genre scenes, portraits, and still lifes, that display her awareness of contemporary artistic styles and themes. The informality of her engaging paintings owes much to Frans Hals (c. 1582/1583–1666), with whom she may have studied, as well as to the Utrecht Caravaggisti. To complement Leyster's works, paintings by Hals and by Leyster's husband, Jan Miense Molenaer (1610–1668), will also be included.

The Beffi Triptych: Preserving Abruzzo's Cultural Heritage
June 15–September 7, 2009
West Building, Main Floor, Rotunda

The first work of art to be transported out of the region of Abruzzo, Italy, in the aftermath of a violent earthquake in April 2009, the Beffi Triptych is one of the most important works from the National Museum of Abruzzo in the city of L'Aquila. The Italian government has loaned the altarpiece for display at the National Gallery of Art until Labor Day in gratitude to the United States for being among the first to offer assistance to the region after the earthquake and as testimony to the Italian commitment to restore fully the cultural heritage of the region.

Stanley William Hayter: From Surrealism to Abstraction
May 31–August 23, 2009
West Building, Ground Floor

English artist Stanley William Hayter's innovative prints—from the surrealist works of the 1930s to vividly colored abstractions of his later years—reveal his remarkable talent and range of success in the medium of printmaking. On view at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, from May 31 through August 23, 2009, Stanley William Hayter: From Surrealism to Abstraction traces the artist's development as a printmaker through 44 of Hayter's finest prints shown with 10 prints by major artists who worked at Hayter's shop.

Edouard Manet's "Ragpicker" from the Norton Simon Foundation
Through September 7, 2009
West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 89

Edouard Manet's powerful Ragpicker (c. 1865–1869), a loan from the Norton Simon Foundation in Pasadena, California, will join one of the National Gallery's great masterworks by Manet, The Old Musician (1862)—which recently underwent extensive conservation—with the two paintings hanging together in the 19th-century French galleries of the West Building from May 22 through September 7, 2009. This is part of an ongoing program of exchanges between the two museums that began in May 2007 with the loan of Rembrandt's "Titus" from the Norton Simon Foundation to the National Gallery.

Jazz in the Garden
Through September 11, 2009
Sculpture Garden

For the ninth consecutive year, the free summer concert series Jazz in the Garden returns to the Gallery's Sculpture Garden. Top local and regional artists will perform a diverse mix of jazz, from swing to progressive to Latin, each Friday from May 22 through September 11, rain or shine. Musicians perform in front of the Pavilion Café, while visitors relax around the grand central fountain or arrange picnic blankets on the beautifully landscaped grounds.

Jaromír Funke and the Amateur Avant-Garde
Through August 9, 2009
West Building, Ground Floor, Inner Tier

The first major exhibition of photographer Jaromír Funke's work outside of Europe in nearly 25 years will be on view at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, from May 3 through August 9, 2009. Some 70 works in Jaromír Funke and the Amateur Avant-Garde will reveal his influential role in the Czech and Slovak amateur photography movement in the 1920s and 1930s and will include works by Josef Sudek (1896–1976), one of the best-known Czech photographers worldwide, and Eugen Wiškovský (1888–1964).

Image: Recent Acquisitions: The Grega and Leo A. Daly III Fund for Architectural Books Recent Acquisitions: The Grega and Leo A. Daly III Fund for Architectural Books
Through November 15, 2009
West Building, Ground Floor, Gallery G21

After more than a century of the dominance of baroque architecture, architects and designers of the 18th and 19th centuries began to look to the past for new inspiration. The twin movements of the Gothic revival and Greek revival emerged in northern Europe and were quickly exported to the Americas and Australia. The Greek revival movement was spurred by a newfound access to Greece and its ancient monuments in the mid-18th century.

Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life
Through August 23, 2009
East Building, Mezzanine Level

Delights of the Spanish table depicted by 18th-century painter Luis Meléndez (1715-1780) will be presented to American audiences for the first time in nearly 25 years at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, May 17 through August 23, 2009. In a rare opportunity to explore the artist’s working method, Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life will showcase 31 paintings, some of which have never been exhibited publicly, and nine examples of 18th-century kitchenware similar to those used as studio props by Meléndez.

Taste the Delicacies of Garden Café España
Through–September 17, 2009
West Building, Ground Floor, Garden Café

Featuring signature Spanish dishes created by Chef José Andrés in honor of Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life and The Art of Power: Royal Armor and Portraits from Imperial Spain.

Heaven on Earth: Manuscript Illuminations from the National Gallery of Art
Through August 2, 2009

Rare medieval manuscript illuminations, last exhibited in 1975, will be showcased in a stunning installation, Heaven on Earth: Manuscript Illuminations from the National Gallery of Art. This exhibition offers the first in-depth look at these rare medieval manuscript illuminations from 52 single leaves and 4 bound volumes, among them a number of important recent acquisitions, which date from the 12th to the 16th century and were made in France, Germany, Austria, Bohemia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy.

In the Tower: Philip Guston
Through September 13, 2009
East Building, Tower Gallery

An exhibition, on view February 1 through September 13, 2009, of work by American artist Philip Guston (1913–1980) launches a series of shows in the East Building Tower Gallery that will focus on developments in art since 1970. A video screened in the exhibition explores Guston's life and the inspiration for his work. The artist is also discussed by Barbara Tempchin and Harry Cooper, curator of modern and contemporary art, National Gallery of Art, in a Backstory podcast.

Comments on Your Visit

We would like to hear from you. Please tell us about your visit to the National Gallery of Art. If you would like a reply, please be sure to include your e-mail address.

Visitor Guides

Plan your visit to the National Gallery with these maps of must-see works.
(Download Acrobat Reader)

Less Than an Hour? West Building Highlights (PDF 153k)

Less Than an Hour? West Building Sculpture Highlights (PDF 189k)

East Building Highlights (PDF 360k)

Sculpture Garden (PDF 270k)

Family Guide: Dutch and French Paintings (PDF 316k)

Calendar of Events

Find out what's happening this month at the National Gallery of Art. To obtain a free bimonthly calendar of events by mail, call (202) 842-6662, or contact us by e-mail at calendar@nga.gov. The current bimonthly Calendar of Events is available in PDF format. (Download Acrobat Reader)

Film Calendar

To obtain a free quarterly film calendar by mail, contact us by e-mail at film-department@nga.gov. Please include your mailing address. The current quarterly Film Calendar is available in PDF format. (Download Acrobat Reader)

Subscribe
Subscribe to the Gallery's "What's New" RSS feed to receive new updates automatically. Help

	Opening July 4 An Antiquity of Imagination: Tullio Lombardo and Venetian High Renaissance Sculpture Through November 1, 2009 West Building Main Floor In the first exhibition dedicated to Venetian Renaissance sculptor Tullio Lombardo (c. 1455–1532), his romantic approach to portraiture is revealed in four of his greatest marble carvings, which are joined by eight related works from his closest circle. Tullio's unprecedented masterpieces of Renaissance marble carving, never before seen in the United States. At the center of this focus exhibition are two double portraits carved in high relief from single blocks of marble: A Couple (c.1490/1495) and the so-called "Bacchus and Ariadne" (c.1505). The sensuously smooth flesh of these ideally beautiful young men and women, portrayed partially nude, contrasts with intricate detail carving in costume elements and in hair that surges with movement. Their restless expressions, with parted lips and wide-open eyes that seem to gaze into the distance, suggest states of reverie, anxiety, or yearning. They depart dramatically from conventions of late 15th-century Venetian portraiture, typically formal, reserved, and confined almost exclusively to painting. Whether Tullio's busts were really meant as portraits remains a mystery. Opening July 3 The Budapest Horse: A Leonardo da Vinci Puzzle Through September 7, 2009 West Building Ground Floor, Gallery G42 The Rearing Horse and Mounted Warrior, a bronze statuette from the Museum of Fine Arts (Szépm?vészeti Múzeum), Budapest, is the focus of recent technical examinations by National Gallery of Art conservators and is also the centerpiece of this small exhibition, the intriguing work is joined by two additional bronze horses and two warriors associated with Leonardo da Vinci from international collections, along with two Renaissance bronze horses by known masters for comparison. Illustrative panels present evidence related to the works' origins, including reproductions of drawings by Leonardo, x-radiographs, and computer models. The Art of Power: Royal Armor and Portraits from Imperial Spain Through November 1, 2009 West Building, Main Floor This unprecedented exhibition, which explores how armor was used to cultivate the image of royal power in late 15th- to 18th-century Spain, highlights some 75 armors and paintings, in addition to magnificent tapestries and works on paper that depict armor worn in the courtly, chivalric context of parades, pageants, and jousting tournaments and occasionally, battles. Armor from the renowned Spanish Royal Armory in Madrid will be paired for the first time with portraits by masters such as Peter Paul Rubens, Alonso Sánchez Coello, Anthony van Dyck, and Diego Velázquez depicting emperors and kings wearing the same armor. Judith Leyster, 1609–1660 Through November 29, 2009 West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 50a In celebration of Judith Leyster's (1609–1660) 400th birthday, the Gallery will showcase her expressive Self-Portrait (c. 1630) as the focal point of a small exhibition that will include 10 of Leyster's finest works from American and European collections. Leyster's oeuvre consists of a range of subjects, including genre scenes, portraits, and still lifes, that display her awareness of contemporary artistic styles and themes. The informality of her engaging paintings owes much to Frans Hals (c. 1582/1583–1666), with whom she may have studied, as well as to the Utrecht Caravaggisti. To complement Leyster's works, paintings by Hals and by Leyster's husband, Jan Miense Molenaer (1610–1668), will also be included. The Beffi Triptych: Preserving Abruzzo's Cultural Heritage June 15–September 7, 2009 West Building, Main Floor, Rotunda The first work of art to be transported out of the region of Abruzzo, Italy, in the aftermath of a violent earthquake in April 2009, the Beffi Triptych is one of the most important works from the National Museum of Abruzzo in the city of L'Aquila. The Italian government has loaned the altarpiece for display at the National Gallery of Art until Labor Day in gratitude to the United States for being among the first to offer assistance to the region after the earthquake and as testimony to the Italian commitment to restore fully the cultural heritage of the region. Stanley William Hayter: From Surrealism to Abstraction May 31–August 23, 2009 West Building, Ground Floor English artist Stanley William Hayter's innovative prints—from the surrealist works of the 1930s to vividly colored abstractions of his later years—reveal his remarkable talent and range of success in the medium of printmaking. On view at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, from May 31 through August 23, 2009, Stanley William Hayter: From Surrealism to Abstraction traces the artist's development as a printmaker through 44 of Hayter's finest prints shown with 10 prints by major artists who worked at Hayter's shop. Edouard Manet's "Ragpicker" from the Norton Simon Foundation Through September 7, 2009 West Building, Main Floor, Gallery 89 Edouard Manet's powerful Ragpicker (c. 1865–1869), a loan from the Norton Simon Foundation in Pasadena, California, will join one of the National Gallery's great masterworks by Manet, The Old Musician (1862)—which recently underwent extensive conservation—with the two paintings hanging together in the 19th-century French galleries of the West Building from May 22 through September 7, 2009. This is part of an ongoing program of exchanges between the two museums that began in May 2007 with the loan of Rembrandt's "Titus" from the Norton Simon Foundation to the National Gallery. Jazz in the Garden Through September 11, 2009 Sculpture Garden For the ninth consecutive year, the free summer concert series Jazz in the Garden returns to the Gallery's Sculpture Garden. Top local and regional artists will perform a diverse mix of jazz, from swing to progressive to Latin, each Friday from May 22 through September 11, rain or shine. Musicians perform in front of the Pavilion Café, while visitors relax around the grand central fountain or arrange picnic blankets on the beautifully landscaped grounds. Jaromír Funke and the Amateur Avant-Garde Through August 9, 2009 West Building, Ground Floor, Inner Tier The first major exhibition of photographer Jaromír Funke's work outside of Europe in nearly 25 years will be on view at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, from May 3 through August 9, 2009. Some 70 works in Jaromír Funke and the Amateur Avant-Garde will reveal his influential role in the Czech and Slovak amateur photography movement in the 1920s and 1930s and will include works by Josef Sudek (1896–1976), one of the best-known Czech photographers worldwide, and Eugen Wiškovský (1888–1964). Recent Acquisitions: The Grega and Leo A. Daly III Fund for Architectural Books Through November 15, 2009 West Building, Ground Floor, Gallery G21 After more than a century of the dominance of baroque architecture, architects and designers of the 18th and 19th centuries began to look to the past for new inspiration. The twin movements of the Gothic revival and Greek revival emerged in northern Europe and were quickly exported to the Americas and Australia. The Greek revival movement was spurred by a newfound access to Greece and its ancient monuments in the mid-18th century. *Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life* Through August 23, 2009 East Building, Mezzanine Level Delights of the Spanish table depicted by 18th-century painter Luis Meléndez (1715-1780) will be presented to American audiences for the first time in nearly 25 years at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, May 17 through August 23, 2009. In a rare opportunity to explore the artist’s working method, Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life will showcase 31 paintings, some of which have never been exhibited publicly, and nine examples of 18th-century kitchenware similar to those used as studio props by Meléndez. Taste the Delicacies of Garden Café España Through–September 17, 2009 West Building, Ground Floor, Garden Café Featuring signature Spanish dishes created by Chef José Andrés in honor of Luis Meléndez: Master of the Spanish Still Life and The Art of Power: Royal Armor and Portraits from Imperial Spain. Heaven on Earth: Manuscript Illuminations from the National Gallery of Art Through August 2, 2009 Rare medieval manuscript illuminations, last exhibited in 1975, will be showcased in a stunning installation, Heaven on Earth: Manuscript Illuminations from the National Gallery of Art. This exhibition offers the first in-depth look at these rare medieval manuscript illuminations from 52 single leaves and 4 bound volumes, among them a number of important recent acquisitions, which date from the 12th to the 16th century and were made in France, Germany, Austria, Bohemia, the Netherlands, Spain, and Italy. In the Tower: Philip Guston Through September 13, 2009 East Building, Tower Gallery An exhibition, on view February 1 through September 13, 2009, of work by American artist Philip Guston (1913–1980) launches a series of shows in the East Building Tower Gallery that will focus on developments in art since 1970. A video screened in the exhibition explores Guston's life and the inspiration for his work. The artist is also discussed by Barbara Tempchin and Harry Cooper, curator of modern and contemporary art, National Gallery of Art, in a Backstory podcast. Comments on Your Visit We would like to hear from you. Please tell us about your visit to the National Gallery of Art. If you would like a reply, please be sure to include your e-mail address. Visitor Guides Plan your visit to the National Gallery with these maps of must-see works. (Download Acrobat Reader) Less Than an Hour? West Building Highlights (PDF 153k) Less Than an Hour? West Building Sculpture Highlights (PDF 189k) East Building Highlights (PDF 360k) Sculpture Garden (PDF 270k) Family Guide: Dutch and French Paintings (PDF 316k) Calendar of Events Find out what's happening this month at the National Gallery of Art. To obtain a free bimonthly calendar of events by mail, call (202) 842-6662, or contact us by e-mail at calendar@nga.gov. The current bimonthly Calendar of Events is available in PDF format. (Download Acrobat Reader) Film Calendar To obtain a free quarterly film calendar by mail, contact us by e-mail at film-department@nga.gov. Please include your mailing address. The current quarterly Film Calendar is available in PDF format. (Download Acrobat Reader) Subscribe Subscribe to the Gallery's "What's New" RSS feed to receive new updates automatically. Help
	help \| search \| site map \| contact us \| privacy \| terms of use \| press \| home Copyright © National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC