
Painting
Since ancient times, artists have made paintings to tell stories or capture beauty. They’ve used egg tempera, oil, and more recently acrylic to create compositions of all shapes and sizes. The results include radiant altarpieces, striking portraits, luminous landscapes, and abstract expressions.
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Interactive Article: Layers of Power in "The Feast of the Gods"
At first glance, this painting looks like a great party. But it’s more complicated than that.

Interactive Article: Art Comes to Life in Joan Miró’s "The Farm"
Joan Miró’s complex and captivating painting is full of life and mystery.

Interactive Article: Art up Close: Judith Leyster, the Leading Star of Her Time
Her paintings were passed off as the works of her male contemporaries. Get to know 17th century painter Judith Leyster through the hidden details of her lively self-portrait.

Interactive Article: Art up Close: Jacques-Louis David’s Mythical Napoleon
A magnified look at the details in the imagined portrait of the legendary French emperor.

Interactive Article: Stories and Symbols in Jan van Eyck’s "The Annunciation"
The work is a triumph of early Northern Renaissance painting—and storytelling.

Interactive Article: Art up Close: Fra Angelico and Fra Filippo Lippi’s Spectacular “The Adoration of the Magi”
See the marvelous and mystifying details of the 15th-century painting, believed to have been made for the Medici family.

Video: Inside the Corcoran’s Incredible Art Collection
From 1869 to 2014, the Corcoran Gallery of Art was one of the oldest art museums in the United States, reflecting the country’s move from the ashes of the Civil War into the 21st century.

Video: Oddly Satisfying: Cakes Inspired by Wayne Thiebaud
Indulge your senses as an amazing baker delves into the delectable world of Wayne Thiebaud's iconic Cakes still-life painting.

Article: George Morrison Gets His Due
The Minnesota painter merged abstract expressionism with traditional Ojibwe values.

Video: Impressionist Art Screensaver
Transform your screen into a painting with art from our 2024 exhibition, Paris 1874: The Impressionist Moment.

Article: Your Tour of Latinx Artists at the National Gallery
Use our guide to explore works by Latinx artists on view in our galleries.
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Impressionism
Impressionism is a style of painting that helped redirect art toward personal expression and artistic process. The movement originated in and around Paris in the late 19th century. Impressionists had stylistic differences, but they shared an interest in accurately capturing modern life and the fleeting effects of light and color.

Abstract Expressionism
The American painters known as abstract expressionists developed a new kind of painting during the 1940s and ’50s. Their works were characterized by abstract imagery and subject matter that was full of allusions. They created dramatic, often monumental compositions with sweeping brushwork and fields of color.