Explore powerful stories of devotion, love, and artistic passion through iconic works of art—from religious masterpieces to revolutionary portraits. 

What happens when legacy, artistry, and womanhood collide? LaToya Hobbs creates a stunning woodcut portrait of Naima Mora, inspired by the life and work of legendary printmaker Elizabeth Catlett—Naima’s own grandmother.

Video essayist Nerdwriter helps us explore the extraordinary work of photographer Tseng Kwong Chi, whose iconic East Meets West series blends self-portraiture, performance, and satire.

The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts presented by Wu Hung (2019)

Master printmaker LaToya Hobbs creates a woodblock print portrait of Naima Mora, referencing the sculpture Naima created by Elizabeth Catlett.

Sydney J. Freedberg Lecture on Italian Art presented by Keith Sciberras (2024)

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.

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

Watch and learn how to make a marionette inspired by George File's 1936 watercolor Skeleton Marionette.

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

Dive into the world of Paris in 1874 and discover how a movement that was reviled at the time changed the landscape of art forever.

New York Times art critic Aruna D’Souza discusses the work of painter Georges Seurat.

Watch and learn how to make fashion stamps on fabric inspired by Henri Matisse’s 1953 work Large Decoration with Masks.

Take a moment to “chill” with Claude Monet and this step-by-step D.I.Y. guide to tie dyeing like a pro.

New York Times art critic Aruna D’Souza discusses Philip Guston's 1969 work Head II.

DrawTogether Strangers is a global portrait project by artist Wendy MacNaughton that connects strangers through the simple act of looking and drawing, two people at a time.

Roy Lichtenstein’s 1965 Reverie acts as an inspiration for an incredible, Pop Art-style makeover. 

The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts presented by Anna Deavere Smith (2024)

New York Times art critic Aruna D’Souza discusses Jaune Quick-to-See Smith's 1992 work Target. 

Art historian Rashieda Witter discusses Washington, D.C.-based Black artists throughout history whose work challenged our ideas of what art can be. 

This miniature masterpiece is inspired by Jan van Kessel the Elder’s 1653 Insects and a Sprig of Rosemary, which features over ten insect species with impressive precision.

Art historian Rashieda Witter tells the story of the Scurlock Family, who photographed some of the artists and creatives responsible for the Black Renaissance in Washington, D.C.

Watch a mesmerizing makeup transformation inspired by Vincent van Gogh's 1889 Self Portrait. 
 

Enter the illusion of René Magritte’s La condition humaine through the magic of miniatures.

Watch as New York Times art critic Aruna D’Souza examines Eva Hesse's sculpture Test Piece for "Contingent."

Watch as Liz Collins invites us all into the “rich and limitless” creative space of textile art.

Washington, D.C. artist and native Dee Dwyer attempts to recreate the emotion and impact of Dorothea Lange's memorable photographs in her own work.

Examine how Chakaia Booker’s artistic practice serves as a metaphor for Black American experiences of struggle, strength, and survival.

Wyeth Lecture in American Art presented by Roberto Tejada (2023)

Rick Lowe, artist and community organizer, takes us to his home in the 3rd ward of Houston, Texas.

Sydney J. Freedberg Lecture on Italian Art presented by Michael Cole (2023)

Try your hand at creating your very own lavish scene inspired by Osias Beert the Elder’s Dishes with Oysters, Fruit, and Wine.

Watch as Auguste Renoir's paintings, Girl with a Hoop and The Dancer, come to life before your eyes!

Enjoy relaxing music and a series of wintertime landscapes from the National Gallery of Art's collection.  

Learn more about Anne Vallayer-Coster's Still Life with Flowers in an Alabaster Vase and Fruit, a 1783 painting that resurfaced after disappearing for centuries. 

Jason Reynolds reads "Charwoman Interrupted Again", his original poem inspired by Gordon Parks's photograph Washington, D.C. Government Charwoman (American Gothic).

Ada Limón, 24th Poet Laureate of the United States, reads her poem "In the End, Everything Gives," inspired by Andy Goldsworthy’s sculpture Roof. 

John Hitchcock's (Comanche/Kiowa/European descent) work Impact vs. Influence uses symbols like animal heads, tanks, helicopters, birds, butterflies, and an hourglass to speak to the complexity of our shared environment and the “hopeful small moments” inside that chaos.

Watch artist John Hitchcock and our dedicated exhibition team transform an empty gallery into a wall of wonder as they install Hitchcock’s work Impact vs. Influence.

Watch Orville the Poet, a Maryland-based spoken word artist, perform his original poem, Between the Lines, in front of the work that inspired it, Theaster Gates’s Ground Rules (black line).

Witness the transformation of ordinary materials into an extraordinary wonderland as this miniature masterpiece brings forth the essence of Henri Rousseau’s 1910 painting, Tropical Forest With Monkeys.

Watch to learn more about the nearly 50 living Native artists practicing across the United States featured in the 2023–2024 exhibition The Land Carries Our Ancestors: Contemporary Art by Native Americans.

Watch and learn how to make mosaics inspired by Alma Thomas's 1969 work Autumn Drama.

In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to style a still life through key lessons on composition, lighting, and more, inspired by Jan van Kessel’s Vanitas Still Life.

Master sculptor Fred X. Brownstein takes on the challenge of copying Antonio Canova’s sculpture Venus using Canova’s unique 200-year-old techniques.

Watch and listen as Sam Gilliam’s 1965 Shoot Six inspires new shapes, colors, and forms through the mesmerizing cutting, scooping, and squishing of kinetic sand.

 Enter the world of Henri Matisse’s Pianist and Checker Players through the magic of miniatures.

Watch and listen as Leon Berkowitz’s Coronation and Untitled inspire new shapes, colors, and forms through the ooey gooey goodness of slime.

Master sculptor Fred X. Brownstein recreates Antonio Canova’s sculpture Venus using Canova’s unique 200-year-old techniques over the course of 6 months.

Watch and learn how to make wire sculptures inspired by Louise Bourgeois's 1996/1997 work, Spider.

The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts presented by Stephen D. Houston (2023)

Watch and learn how to make mosaics inspired by Alma Thomas's 1969 work Pansies in Washington.

Watch as our skilled conservator revives this 16th-century School of Perugino painting.

Watch and learn how to make paper flowers inspired by Berthe Morisot's 1869 work, Peonies.

Watch and listen as Piet Mondrian’s Tableau No. IV; Lozenge inspires new shapes, colors, and forms through the mesmerizing cutting, scooping, and squishing of kinetic sand.

Learn more about artist Philip Guston and our exhibition Philip Guston Now, which was on view March 2 – August 27, 2023.

Marie Watt, an artist and member of the Seneca Nation, takes us into the story of Turtle Island and its connection to her work, family, and Native American history. 

Inspired by prints such as Andō Hiroshige’s Cherry Blossoms in Full Bloom Along the Sumida River, Vincent van Gogh created his 1888 Farmhouse in Provence.

Watch how Herbert Adams's Girl with Water Lilies is reinvented in the Anime style!

Learn more about Philip Guston’s challenging and ambiguous paintings that confronted the violence and turmoil unfolding around him.

Watch the National Gallery of Art install six photographs from Anna Fox’s 1987-1988 series Work Stations featured in our This Is Britain exhibition, which was on view January 29 – June 11, 2023.

The National Gallery’s own Harry Cooper and LaStarsha McGarity declare Picasso overrated and question if Chet Hanks is indeed the greatest artist of all time on our fifth episode of Ask the National Gallery Anything.

Sydney J. Freedberg Lecture on Italian Art presented by Cammy Brothers (2022)

The National Gallery’s own Liz Diament and Alison Luchs answer your most asked questions in our fourth episode of Ask the National Gallery Anything.

 Using A.I. technology, you can experience the wonder of Sargent’s encounters with Carmen Dauset Moreno (aka La Carmencita).

A.I. technology brings John Singer Sargent’s painting, Spanish Roma Dancer, to life.

In a matter of hours, watch how National Gallery art handlers and conservators return Alexander Calder’s stunning mobile back to its home in Washington, D.C.

Join George Henry Durrie's lone figure as he walks through the snow with his trusty dog, a basket over one arm, and a full bag over his shoulder.

Using A.I. technology, you can experience John Singer Sargent’s enigmatic vision of a pair of dancers performing outdoors, their movements lit by stars or fireworks.

Using A.I. technology, you can experience the wonder of Sargent’s encounters with Carmen Dauset Moreno (aka La Carmencita).

From his construction process to the mysticism of vejigantes, Lind-Ramos guides us through his upbringing in Loíza, Puerto Rico, and the myriad of inspirations for his art.

On view from November 20, 2022, to February 12, 2023, Vittore Carpaccio: Master Storyteller of Renaissance Venice Exhibition was the first retrospective of Carpaccio's work ever held outside Italy.

The National Gallery’s own Mikka Gee Conway and Jeannette Shindell answer your most asked questions in our third episode of Ask the National Gallery Anything.

To celebrate, curator Harry Cooper and Joan Punyet Miró, Joan Miró's grandson, get together to tell the tale ofThe Farm from their perches at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., and Miró's farm in Mont-roig del Camp, Spain.

The National Gallery’s own Michelle Facini and Gretchen Hirshauer answer your most asked questions in our second episode of Ask the National Gallery Anything.

John Singer Sargent's (1856–1925) decades-long captivation with Spain yielded a remarkable body of work depicting the rich and diverse culture he encountered.

Washington, D.C. artist David Rashid Ibata takes on the challenge of copying John Singer Sargent's portrait Ellen Peabody Endicott.

The National Gallery of Art asked visitors to interview themselves about their visit to The Double exhibition.

Filmed over the course of a month, watch visitors interact with Felix Gonzalez-Torres's Untitled at the National Gallery of Art.

The exhibition Called to Create: Black Artists of the American South featured Thornton Dial, James “Son Ford” Thomas, Lonnie Holley, Mary T. Smith, Purvis Young, and many other Black artists who lived and worked in the South. 

The National Gallery’s own Haywood Turnipseed and Sherri Williams answer your most asked questions in our first episode of Ask the National Gallery Anything.

Join us on a two-minute tour of The Double: Identity and Difference in Art since 1900, an exhibition that flips reality, splits time, and causes us to see ourselves seeing.

Celebrity Chef and Washington, DC local Carla Hall stops by and talks about key ingredients for cooking and painting with Chef Chris Curtis, Executive Chef at the National Gallery.

Mario García Torres explores the war in Afghanistan through art, struggling to come to terms with violence there and at his home in Mexico through his artwork, Today (News from Kabul). 

Watch Daniel Lind-Ramos's week-long installation of his sculpture, Figura de Poder, in 30 seconds.

Historian Mary Beard discusses Pisanello's Leonello d'Este, Marquess of Ferrara. 

Travel with Dalton Paula as he finds inspiration in Brazil’s Quilombo Kalunga, a community of resistance and empowerment founded centuries ago by Indigenous Brazilians and people fleeing enslavement.

Dalton Paula painted imagined portraits of Zeferina and João De Deus Nascimento, leaders of Brazilian slave rebellions whose faces have been lost to history; these works were featured in the exhibition Afro-Atlantic Histories.

This exhibition, The Renaissance in the North: New Prints and Perspectives, features works recently added to the National Gallery collection and introduces the creative genius and extraordinary skill of artists and printmakers who shaped the Northern Renaissance.

This exhibition trailer features The Double: Identity and Difference in Art Since 1900. 

Mary Beard explores the motives behind Giovanni da Cavino’s medals.

Teresita Fernández invited us to be the first to film her renovated Brooklyn studio and the installation of Paradise Parados, her site-specific, monumental sculpture at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Join María Magdalena Campos-Pons and her gathering of women artists as they celebrate the roles women have played in the progress of the United States and perform a “cleansing gesture” for future generations. 

This trailer previews works from the exhibition The Woman in White: Joanna Hiffernan and James McNeill Whistler. 

Scholar Mary Beard explores the story of Agrippina and Germanicus by Sir Peter Paul Rubens.

Artist Carrie Mae Weems and Carl J. Cruz, a descendant of Sgt. William H. Carney, the first Black soldier awarded the Medal of Honor, reflect on the story of the Massachusetts 54th Regiment and its connections to the struggles still going on today.

Artist Daniel Lind-Ramos builds his sculpture Figura de Poder, a towering and provocative work that conjures up the spirit of the vejigante with mysticism, music, and activism.

This trailer advertises the exhibition American Silence: The Photographs of Robert Adams. 

The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts presented by Richard J. Powell (2022)

Join exhibition curators Kanitra Fletcher, Steven Nelson, and Molly Donovan on a two-minute tour of the 2022 exhibition Afro-Atlantic Histories.

The exhibition Afro-Atlantic Histories, which was on view at the National Gallery of Art from April 10 to July 17, 2022, explored the enduring legacy of the African Diaspora

Learn how to create your very own cut-out, Henri Matisse-inspired collage with just paper, scissors, and a glue stick!

Learn how to create an Alma Thomas-inspired collage for kids.

¡Aprende a crear tu propio collage recortado con solo papel, tijeras y pegamento! 

Listen to this read aloud of Jeanette Winter’s book Henri’s Scissors, which tells the tale of French artist Henri Matisse’s journey from classic painter to master of the colorful cut-out collage.

Escuche el libro Las Tijeras De Matisse por Jeanette Winter en voz alta. Listen to the book Las Tijeras De Matisse by Jeanette Winter read aloud. 

Wyeth Lecture in American Art presented by Patricia Marroquin Norby (2021)

Join exhibition curator Betsy Wieseman on a two-minute tour of the 2021-2022 exhibition Clouds, Ice, and Bounty.

Sydney J. Freedberg Lecture on Italian Art presented by Babette Bohn (2021)

Join exhibition curator Rena Hoisington on a two-minute tour of Aquatint: From Its Origins to Goya, which was on view at the National Gallery of Art from October 24, 2021, to February 21, 2022.

Meet eight pioneering women photographers, including Dorothea Lange, Tsuneko Sasamoto, and Homai Vyarawalla, who made significant contributions to modern photography and were featured in The New Woman Behind the Camera.

In this short video, Michelle Obama and others share why Alma Thomas and her art continue to inspire.

Sarah Cain talks about how fierce feminism and humor infuse her work My favorite season is the fall of the patriarchy.

The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts presented by Jennifer L. Roberts (2021)

Watch as Iranian artist Avish Khebrehzadeh draws the figures for her video, Seven Silent Songs, and her grand, wall-sized drawing, Tree of Life in Blue.

Plunge into a field of color in this short, guided meditation on Leon Berkowitz’s atmospheric painting Coronation.

Artist Kay Rosen breaks down the linguistic play at the heart of SORRY as expert sign painters execute her installation on construction walls blocking the National Gallery's East Building entrance.

Watch our short video to follow the journey of the National Gallery: growing from a generous gift, eighty years ago, into a place that helps us imagine a different kind of future, together.

Immerse yourself in the lush, tropical landscape of Frederic Edwin Church’s El Rio de Luz through this 3-minute, guided meditation.

This short guided meditation offers breathing techniques to tap into the strength and stability of Rembrandt’s The Mill.

Teju Cole, artist, curator, novelist, photography critic for New York Times Magazine (2015–2019), and Gore Vidal Professor of the Practice of Creative Writing, Harvard University, in conversation with Fazal Sheikh, Artist-in-Residence at the Princeton Environmental Institute, Princeton University.

Sydney J. Freedberg Lecture on Italian Art presented by Megan Holmes (2020)

Go behind the scenes with the National Gallery of Art as our filmmakers pilot a camera drone inside three Spanish churches, capturing unparalleled views of artist Alonso Berruguete’s masterpieces.

Join exhibition curator Andrew Butterfield on a tour of highlights from the exhibition Andrea del Verrocchio: Sculptor and Painter of Renaissance Florence, on view from September 15, 201,9 to January 12, 2020.

Wyeth Lecture in American Art presented by Kellie Jones (2019)

This 10-minute film explores the life and art of Alonso Berruguete, the revolutionary sculptor and painter of Renaissance Spain.

Narrated by Academy Award nominee Glenn Close, the film includes new footage of the original settings of Andrea del Verrocchio's works in Florence, Pistoia, and Venice.

On September 12, 2015, Carrie Mae Weems discussed her artistic process, including her attempts to make “the invisible visible” by focusing on individuals and groups of people often left out of the historical record.

Discover the role of animals in Japanese art and culture through this symposium, featuring a series of talks by renowned curators and scholars.

Interviewed in his Oakland, California, studio in December 2018, Oliver Lee Jackson speaks on a range of subjects, including his working process, materials, and inspirations.

This documentary includes original footage of Jacopo Tintoretto’s works in the churches and palaces of Venice and interviews with curators and scholars.

This film, made in conjunction with the exhibition Tintoretto: Artist of Renaissance Venice, recounts the history of the relationship between the Venetian fraternal organization Scuola Grande di San Marco and the works of Tintoretto and his son that fill San Marco’s walls.

For over a decade, Deborah Luster (American, b. 1951) has created photographic archives to examine the complexity and tragedy of violence.

Produced in conjunction with the exhibition Dawoud Bey: The Birmingham Project, this ten-minute interview with the artist explores the inspiration and evolution of the project, as well as Bey's broader interests in portraiture and American history.

Binh Danh (American, b. 1977, Vietnam) uses alternative printing techniques to explore the relationship between history, memory, and the landscape.

A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts presented by Hal Foster (2018)

Learn more about how photographer Susan Meiselas (b. 1948) engages with diverse, often marginalized populations from across the globe.

In this video, artist William Anastasi creates his artwork Issue by displacing bits of plaster into a pile.

National Gallery of Art curator Arthur Wheelock narrates this video, made in conjunction with the exhibition Johannes Vermeer and the Masters of Genre Painting, which featured up-close comparisons of similar works by these artists to show the various ways they painted elegant costumes, costly furnishings, soft plumage, smooth faces, and other details.

Amy Sherald, artist, in conversation with Erin Christovale, assistant curator at the Hammer Museum.

James Meyer, curator of art, 1945–1974, National Gallery of Art, speaks with Alexandra Truitt, independent photo editor and picture researcher, and manager, Estate of Anne Truitt.

This video illustrates the basic materials and steps involved in creating a platinum print with unique and painterly effects using the glycerine process.

Sarah Cash, associate curator, Department of American and British Paintings, National Gallery of Art, speaks with Ka’mal McClarin, museum curator, Frederick Douglass National Historic Site Collection, National Park Service, about Frederick Douglass's involvement in the visual arts.

Wyeth Lecture in American Art presented by Cécile Whiting (2017)

In this presentation held on November 15, 2015, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the exhibition Johannes Vermeer, Arthur K. Wheelock Jr. shares the amazing journey behind the scenes to bring the exhibition to the public.

Maygene Daniels, Chief of Gallery Archives, National Gallery of Art discusses Johannes Vermeer, the unprecedented exhibition that featured 21 of the existing 35 works known to have been painted by the Dutch artist, was on view from November 12, 1995, through February 11, 1996, at the National Gallery of Art.

Hear eight distinguished artists discuss their careers and relationships as members of the Washington, DC, art world.

In this conversation recorded on February 26, 2017, Theaster Gates and guest curator Sarah Newman discuss the works and themes of his exhibition Theaster Gates: The Minor Arts, which was on view at the Gallery from March 5 to September 4, 2017.

This video discusses Claude Monet and his work, Japanese Footbridge, at the National Gallery of Art.

Learn the Impressionist artist Claude Monet's en plein air landscape painting techniques from his beautiful garden in Giverny, France.

A visit to Paul Cézanne's studio and a look at some of his works.

Held on March 17, 2017, eight distinguished artists discuss their careers and relationships as members of the Washington, DC, art world.

This video illustrates the basic materials and steps involved in the production of platinum and palladium prints.

Learn how Vera Lutter created her work, Ca' del Duca Sforza, Venice II: January 13–14, 2008, by transforming a room in the Palazzo Sforza into a camera to create a stunning and uncanny view of the Grand Canal in Venice.

This video provides an ASL description of Jackson Pollock’s drip painting technique, which played a crucial role in the development of action painting, a key method of the abstract expressionist style.

This video provides an ASL description of Georgia O'Keeffe's painting, Jack-in-the-Pulpit No. IV.

This video provides an ASL description of Barnett Newman's First Station. 

This video provides an ASL description of Roy Lichtenstein's painting, Look Mickey.

This video provides an ASL description of Marcel Duchamp's Fresh Widow.

This video provides an ASL description of Henri Matisse's Open Window, Collioure.

This video provides an ASL description of Alberto Giacometti's No More Play.

This video provides an ASL description of Pablo Picasso's Family of Saltimbanques.

This video provides an ASL description of André Derain's painting, Charing Cross Bridge, London.

This video provides an ASL description of Edward Hopper's Ground Swell.

This video provides an ASL description of Ernst Ludwig Kirchner's Two Girls under an Umbrella.

This video provides an ASL description of George Bellows's painting, New York. 

This video provides an ASL description of Piet Mondrian's Tableau No. IV: Lozenge Composition.

This video provides an ASL description of Édouard Vuillard's Woman in a Striped Dress.

This video provides an ASL description of Alexander Calder's mobile Untitled.

This 6-minute film features works from the exhibition In the Tower: Barbara Kruger, presenting Kruger’s profile works—images of faces or figures seen in profile, over which the artist has layered attention-grabbing phrases and figures of speech.

Lee Ewing, National Gallery of Art photographer, explores the challenges of photographing Edgar Degas’s Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.

This video provides an ASL description of Francisco de Goya's painting, Marquesa de Pontejos.

Mark Ruwedel (American, b. 1954) is a photographer who examines the interaction between society and the landscape of the western United States.

This video covers the conservation process for Michael Heizer's Scrap Metal Drypoint #6, developed by conservators, curators, and the artist himself.

Ruth Fine, curator (1972-2012), National Gallery of Art, discusses Procession: The Art of Norman Lewis, the first comprehensive museum overview of the work of this influential artist.

George Koutsouflakis, Director, Department of Archaeological Sites, Monuments and Research, Hellenic Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities, discusses the exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World, which was on view from December 13, 2015, through March 20, 2016, at the National Gallery of Art.

Narrated by Liev Schreiber, this film was made in conjunction with the exhibition Power and Pathos: Bronze Sculpture of the Hellenistic World, on view at the Gallery from December 13, 2015, to March 20, 2016. Produced by the Department of Exhibition Programs, it explores the artistic achievements of the Hellenistic period, from the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC to the rise of the Roman Empire.