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    A sprig of flowering rosemary lying against an ivory-white background and the twelve insects that surround it fills this horizontal painting. Stretching nearly the length of the composition with the cut end to our left, the rosemary has blunted, needle-like, gently curling teal-green leaves and small periwinkle-blue flowers along the ash-brown stem. Several insects perch on the sprig while others are seen as if looking from overhead, resting on the white background. The three largest insects perch along the top of the sprig, with an ivory-white butterfly with moss-green and black markings to the left, a black and golden, fuzzy bumblebee near the center, and a lemon-yellow butterfly with red antennae to our right. A tiny red insect, perhaps a ladybug without spots, sits on a leaf between the bee and yellow butterfly, and a small wasp-like insect rests on a leaf in at the lower left. Another mosquito-like insect alights on the surface nearby, next to a beetle with a honey-orange body with black, almost tiger-like stripes. A large cockroach sitting near the lower right corner has six spindly legs, a mahogany-colored abdomen, a black thorax, and tiny, black head. Spaced somewhat evenly across the top of the panel are a brick-red, winged insect to the left, a mint-green, beetle-like bug near a moth patterned with bone white and black, and a black, fly-like insect to our right. Lit from the upper left, the rosemary and insects cast shadows on the surface. The artist signed and dated the work with gray in the lower left corner: “J v. kessel . . f. Ao 1653.”

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    Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
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    6th and Constitution Ave NW 
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    Only have an hour to spend?

    We've got you covered.

  • Exhibitions & Events

    • Exhibitions
    • Calendar
    • Kid-Friendly Events
    A sprig of flowering rosemary lying against an ivory-white background and the twelve insects that surround it fills this horizontal painting. Stretching nearly the length of the composition with the cut end to our left, the rosemary has blunted, needle-like, gently curling teal-green leaves and small periwinkle-blue flowers along the ash-brown stem. Several insects perch on the sprig while others are seen as if looking from overhead, resting on the white background. The three largest insects perch along the top of the sprig, with an ivory-white butterfly with moss-green and black markings to the left, a black and golden, fuzzy bumblebee near the center, and a lemon-yellow butterfly with red antennae to our right. A tiny red insect, perhaps a ladybug without spots, sits on a leaf between the bee and yellow butterfly, and a small wasp-like insect rests on a leaf in at the lower left. Another mosquito-like insect alights on the surface nearby, next to a beetle with a honey-orange body with black, almost tiger-like stripes. A large cockroach sitting near the lower right corner has six spindly legs, a mahogany-colored abdomen, a black thorax, and tiny, black head. Spaced somewhat evenly across the top of the panel are a brick-red, winged insect to the left, a mint-green, beetle-like bug near a moth patterned with bone white and black, and a black, fly-like insect to our right. Lit from the upper left, the rosemary and insects cast shadows on the surface. The artist signed and dated the work with gray in the lower left corner: “J v. kessel . . f. Ao 1653.”

    Featured exhibition:

    Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World

    Now on view

  • Art & Artists

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    Open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. 
    Admission is always free

    6th and Constitution Ave NW 
    Washington, DC 20565

    Only have an hour to spend?

    We've got you covered.

  • Exhibitions & Events

    • Exhibitions
    • Calendar
    • Kid-Friendly Events
    A sprig of flowering rosemary lying against an ivory-white background and the twelve insects that surround it fills this horizontal painting. Stretching nearly the length of the composition with the cut end to our left, the rosemary has blunted, needle-like, gently curling teal-green leaves and small periwinkle-blue flowers along the ash-brown stem. Several insects perch on the sprig while others are seen as if looking from overhead, resting on the white background. The three largest insects perch along the top of the sprig, with an ivory-white butterfly with moss-green and black markings to the left, a black and golden, fuzzy bumblebee near the center, and a lemon-yellow butterfly with red antennae to our right. A tiny red insect, perhaps a ladybug without spots, sits on a leaf between the bee and yellow butterfly, and a small wasp-like insect rests on a leaf in at the lower left. Another mosquito-like insect alights on the surface nearby, next to a beetle with a honey-orange body with black, almost tiger-like stripes. A large cockroach sitting near the lower right corner has six spindly legs, a mahogany-colored abdomen, a black thorax, and tiny, black head. Spaced somewhat evenly across the top of the panel are a brick-red, winged insect to the left, a mint-green, beetle-like bug near a moth patterned with bone white and black, and a black, fly-like insect to our right. Lit from the upper left, the rosemary and insects cast shadows on the surface. The artist signed and dated the work with gray in the lower left corner: “J v. kessel . . f. Ao 1653.”

    Featured exhibition:

    Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World

    Now on view

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    • Artists
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    Seven men, women, and children with pale, peachy skin flank a woman surrounded by a halo of light, sitting on a throne and holding a nearly nude baby boy in her lap in this long, horizontal painting. The wide throne sits on a low platform and reaches off the top edge of the canvas. The body of the woman sitting there, Mary, faces us and she turns her head to look down to our left with her lips closed. She wears a loose, dusky rose-pink dress under an aquamarine-blue cloak. A translucent white veil covers her chestnut-brown hair and shoulders, and is tucked into the neckline of her dress. Her right hand, to our left, is raised with the palm down, and she supports the hip and thigh of the baby, Jesus, with her other hand. With his hips facing us, Jesus leans to our right as he twists to hold both hands, palm out, in that direction. He has curly blond hair, and he turns his head back over his shoulder to look down at the people to our left. He has brown eyes under delicately arched brows, flushed cheeks, and his pink lips curve up in a slight smile. Though he appears to be nude at first glance, closer inspection shows he wears a sheer white, short-sleeved, knee-length tunic. Golden rays radiate from Mary and Jesus's bodies and mostly obscure the throne behind them. Two men are shown to our left of the throne and two men and a woman are shown to our right. Mary and Jesus look to our left at an older man with a long, gray beard. He kneels with his body angled to our right with both hands lifted palms down at waist height. He looks at us from the corners of his dark eyes under arched brows. He wears a voluminous, honey-brown robe lined with black spotted, white fur and covered over the shoulders and arms with a white fur cape. His matching brown cap has a pattern around the edge, perhaps beading. Standing behind the kneeling man to our left is a bareheaded man with a long, pointed gray beard and short-cropped, gray hair. He also looks out at us with brown eyes, which are lined at the corners with wrinkles. His robe is burgundy red and also lined with black and white fur down the front and around long, drooping sleeves. To our right of the throne, a woman with blond hair in tight curls kneels with her hands together in prayer at her chest. She looks at us with gray eyes set in a round face. Her full robe is patterned with sage-green vines and leaves against an amber-brown background, and is lined along the sleeves and down the front with maroon red. Behind her and to our right stand two young men with short brown hair, wearing dark brown robes with high, white collars. The man to our left has a thin mustache and the other is cleanshaven, and they both look off to our left. Two winged angels sit on the platform to either side of Mary’s feet, which is strewn with roses. The wings of both angels are painted with golden yellow and rust red. To our left, the child-like angel has short, brown hair and wears a teal-blue jacket with a white ruffle at the neck. Coral-red drapery covers the legs over bare feet, and the angel plays a violin. The angel to our right of Mary’s feet is a little taller, and has curly brown hair. Wearing butter yellow and moss green, that angel strums a lute and looks out at us with dark eyes. To either side of the throne, the room is lined with a balustrade and columns, framing a landscape with rolling green hills and ice-blue mountains. White clouds are streaked across the vivid blue sky.
    Jacopo Tintoretto, Doge Alvise Mocenigo and Family before the Madonna and Child, c. 1575, oil on canvas, Samuel H. Kress Collection, 1961.9.44

    Doge Alvise Mocenigo and Family before the Madonna and Child

    Doge Alvise Mocenigo and Family before the Madonna and Child

    Jacopo Tintoretto · c. 1575 · oil on canvas ·  Accession ID  1961.9.44

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