At first glance, this painting looks like a great party. But it’s more complicated than that. 

The painting shows us the ambiguity and loneliness of life on the outskirts of society. 

Joan Miró’s complex and captivating painting is full of life and mystery. 

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.

A magnified look at the details in the imagined portrait of the legendary French emperor.

The work is a triumph of early Northern Renaissance painting—and storytelling.

See the marvelous and mystifying details of the 15th-century painting, believed to have been made for the Medici family.

You may know Georgia O’Keeffe, but have you heard of Tonita Peña? Learn about the many artists inspired by the Southwest.

The Minnesota painter merged abstract expressionism with traditional Ojibwe values. 

The history painter takes inspiration from an old surrealist game — and so can we, as an opportunity for connection.

Wendy MacNaughton takes us on a journey to meet the legendary Harlem artist known for his collages — and reflect on our own homes and families.

Go on a MONUMENTAL drawing adventure inspired by the Running Fence artists, the first in our series hosted by Wendy MacNaughton.

Photographers of the 1970s revolutionized the medium through innovations of both style and subject.

Use our guide to explore works by Latinx artists on view in our galleries.

Through her evocative installations, the pioneering Chicana artist seeks to connect the past with the present.

Discover how a landmark exhibition led to the birth of an influential movement.

Meet the country’s leading painters who developed their own style of modern art.

Learn the hallmarks of one of the most recognizable art movements in the world.

How contemporary artists working in El Paso and Juárez counter mainstream narratives of the region.

How the Diné artist's serene paintings "tell the story of knowing land over time."

How the photographer’s journey tracking down views from 19th century photographs altered the writer’s understanding of space and time.

As the presence of humans changes the Sonoran Desert, photographers capture the impact on the saguaro cactus.

The origins of the Revolutionary War can be found in the details of Charles Willson Peale’s early American portrait.

Photographer Nancy Andrews reflects on her project searching for, and bringing visibility to, her community.

See the portraits of antislavery activists, including Frederick Douglass and Sojourner Truth.

See these 10 works by queer artists during your next visit.

A close look at the unseen labor that went in to David Drake’s stoneware pottery and inscribed poetry.

Asian Americans are often left out of view of US history. But their lives—and their art—are an essential part of the nation’s story.

In her tribute to the late George Morrison, Ojibwe artist Andrea Carlson asks, how can Indigenous artists be called back to the land?

How artists based in Iowa, from the early 20th century to today, have crafted their own visions of the region.

How Grant Wood, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Thomas Hart Benton depicted the humble structures—and how they mask the struggles of farmers today.

The Minnesota artist's humanist, ecological pottery contains operating instructions for our shared survival.

Experience the drama of the eclipse and other views of the cosmos through images in our collection.

The women who fought to become artists in the 19th century, only to have their contributions forgotten for nearly a century.

Social media influencer Holly Pan's fashion-forward visit to National Gallery spaces that remind her of spring.

Usher in the new season with floral displays, art making, films, and more. Here’s our guide to the top spring activities.

Meet the daring artist whose weavings and prints changed the way we see textiles.

See these 10 works by trailblazing women artists during your next visit.

See their paintings, sculptures, installations, and more—all new additions to our collection.

Immerse yourself in the vastness of O’Keeffe’s minimal painting.

This early 20th century art movement sought to convey the intensity of modern life.

American painter Lois Mailou Jones had to conceal her identity to exhibit this idyllic landscape — and achieved recognition on her own terms.

Did you know he made it before the “Mona Lisa?” And that he finger painted? Uncover more unexpected details about the only painting by the artist in the Americas.

These 10 works by Black artists are on view in our galleries, so you can see them during your next visit.

Are you a fan of Glenn Ligon, Alma Thomas, or Gordon Parks? We’ve paired eight Black artists you might know with eight others to discover.

Porter was the first known professional Black artist to specialize in still lifes, and his paintings were admired by the likes of writer Mark Twain and painter Frederic Edwin Church.

Get inspiring and practical tips for your most creative year yet.

With "The Skater," Stuart blazed a new path in British portraiture. Its details tell the story of skating in 18th-century Britain.

In her figurative and floral canvases, the Chicago-based painter explores her intersections.

See how six artists envisioned the Bard’s plays, from “Romeo and Juliet” to “King Lear.”

Not a fan of crowds? Tired of the holiday hustle? Our Visitor Experience team shared their tips for a restful and refreshing visit to the museum.

How an American painting showing the impact of industry on the land resonates with young visitors today.

Six year-old Addy and her dad Austin Graff have tips for enjoying the National Gallery as you grow.

The 18th-century French still life painter considered it one of her best paintings.

Learn about the documentary photographer’s techniques by tracing the process of creating some of her compelling images.

Four everyday Americans were the subject of her famous photographs. Discover the heartbreak and suffering they faced at crucial points in American history.

Mark Rothko made more than 1,000 paintings on paper. Get an inside look at his methods and materials.

Learn how the documentary photographer got her start and why she dedicated her life to the medium.

Trick or treat? Discover artists' materials that range from spooky to delicious.

Explore our bounty of fall images.

The New York–based Latina artist finds deep connections between rest, nature, and womanhood in her vibrant paintings.

Learn about some of the artists the modern painter was in dialogue with throughout his career.

Exploring the details of this 18th-century painting, learn the story of Native Americans’ participation in the American Revolution and their long-standing fights for land rights.

Brush up on key and unexpected details about the modern artist, best known for his colorful abstract paintings.

The social media influencer shares his tips for a perfect (and romantic) day exploring the museum.

Over 50 years and across many styles and mediums, the artist probed his roots.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet is inspired by the French painter’s work made “in the lull before history dissolves.”

The Venezuelan American artist was wildly famous in the 1960s and ’70s for sculptures that have many sources, but defy categories.

The artist confronts us with the contemporary Puerto Rican experience.

The author of "Deaf Republic" imagines a convening with the "long-legged statue."

Learn about the lives and works of artists of Latin American descent working in the United States from the 1930s to today.

The poet responds to a sculpture by Anne Truitt and asks the questions “Who gets to speak, who gets to brush.”

A large collection of personal photographs offers a glimpse of Black entrepreneurship and self-expression in the 19th and 20th centuries.

The educator, curator, interdisciplinary artist, and guest curator at the Mead Art Museum of Amherst College responds to Modigliani's "Roma Woman with Baby"

The Ohio-based poet's creation is a rumination on soulmates, solitude, and spirits.

The poetry coordinator of the Folger Shakespeare Library reacts to the American artist's kinetic "spider."

The Palestinian-American poet is inspired by "Falling Man" by Max Beckmann, her mother’s teacher.

The National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature imagines the experience of Ella Watson, the subject of Gordon Parks's iconic image.

The U.S. Poet Laureate responds to a circular set of sculptures by Andy Goldsworthy.

Chef and Native American food historian Loretta Barett Oden reflects on her friendship with artist G. Peter Jemison.

How our conservators have cared for the fragile wax sculpture, preserving it decades longer than anyone thought possible.

A conservator examines how the impressionist made a curious drawing.

A look at the prodigy who became so famous for his paintings of animals that a dog breed was named after him.

The American artist, skilled at both painting and publicity, created a sensation similar to the social media–famous exhibitions of today.

The salt we see in 17th-century still lifes was central to the Dutch economy—and Dutch colonialism.

This sailor was one of the first Black figures at the center of a history painting. What can a close look tell us about Black life during colonial times?

Steven Nelson considers how artist Simone Leigh has created a body of work unapologetically for Black women.

From the Native peoples lobbying to keep their homelands to immigrants facing challenges in their new home, works from our collection help us understand our nation’s beginnings.

A print by Frank Hartley Anderson reminds chef Adrienne Cheatham of the church meals she grew up with—and of a recipe for buttered rolls.

Artists from Mary Cassatt to Roy Lichtenstein have spent the warmer months making works about busy beaches, ripe raspberries, fresh flowers, and other signs of the season.

To present sitters in the best possible light and perfect his portrait photographs, 20th-century Harlem photographer Van Der Zee even drew jewelry onto his negatives.

Looking to learn more about art? Explore a selection of activities, lesson plans, and videos for educators and students for kids of all ages, from preschoolers to high schoolers.

On Juneteenth, Aaron Douglas’s “Into Bondage” prompts reflections on the way forward through oppression and anguish.

We know so much more about Dave than we otherwise would because he signed his vessels, and also inscribed them with poems, during a period of harsh anti-literacy laws.

Drawing can clear your head and focus your attention on the here and now. Draw with us—no experience required.

A close look at the sculptor’s clay models reveals his extraordinary working process . . . and his thumbprints.

The inventive Italian artist is considered one of the most important sculptors of Europe’s revolutionary period.

How did the Italian sculptor approach a portrait of the first US president?

The colorful life of one of the nation’s most important postwar artists.

Discover the lives of 15 LGBTQ+ artists and their art, much of which you can see at the National Gallery.