American sculptor, assemblagist, and filmmaker Joseph Cornell was one of the first modernist artists to use found objects as his materials. Cornell was born in 1903 in Nyack, New York, and spent much of his life in New York City’s Flushing neighborhood.

Cornell collected objects on frequent visits to Manhattan bookshops, antique stores, and flea markets. In his basement studio, he used these materials to make shadow boxes, glass-fronted containers that often evoke tiny, fantastical realms. Cornell developed this art form, which influenced artists from Marcel Duchamp and Jasper Johns to Yayoi Kusama.

With the donation of the Robert and Aimee Lehrman Collection of 20 boxes and seven collages, the National Gallery is one of the world's leading centers for the study and appreciation of Cornell's art.