The National Gallery of Art, a classical building that occupies the northeast section of the mall, was donated to the United States by Andrew W. Mellon along with an art collection. He wanted to provide the nation's capital with an art museum of international stature. The gallery was opened in 1941 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, "for the benefit of all Americans." It was designed by John Russell Popse, architect of the National Archives and the Jefferson Memorial.
The gallery houses all sorts of masterpieces. Here, one can find works from many of the great masters, including Rembrandt, Raphawl, El Greco, Money, and Renoir. The gallery is also the only place in America which owns a Leonardo da Vinci (the Ginevra de Benci). All other works by him are owned by European galleries or collectors.
Until 1904, the site was home to the B&P Railroad station. It was the city's main terminal until the construction and completion of Union Station. The station, a Victorian Gothic, was built between 1873 and 1878. Three years after its completion, though, it would become a tragic landmark, to rival Ford's Theater.
On July 2, 1881, President William Garfield was making his way through the train station when he was suddenly confronted by a former civil service employee. Charles Guiteau, who was toting a pistol, had been hounding the White House for a government appointment. Rejected too many times, Guiteau decided to seek revenge and fired two shots at the president. Two months later, Garfield died at his family's summer home in Elberon, New Jersey, on September 19, 1881. Medical historians note that if it weren't for his bungling physicians, the president might have survived the attack.
Guiteau was arrested and charged first for the attempted murder, and once the president died, the murder of the president. Despite questions about his sanity, Guiteau was judged fit to stand trial. He was convicted of the president's murder, and ultimately hanged on June 29, 1882.
During the 1930s, the site where the National Gallery now stands had been planned to house the George Washington Memorial Building, an auditorium and civic center honoring World War I vets. Although the cornerstone and foundation and ceremonial stairs were built, the project was scrapped in the late 1930s after funds ran dry and the site was needed for the National Gallery of Art.
More information can be found on the National Gallery of Art Web Page.
The East Wing of the National Gallery of Art draws larger crowds and longer attendance than its neighbor next door. It is, in fact, the most visited art museum in the United States. The wing was designed by I.M. Pei and completed in 1978. At first, many criticized the building for its modern sharply angled building, in striking contrast to its domed neighbor. However critics and tourists today have come to admire and even love the quirky, angular building.
Both galleries are connected by an underground food court, shopping center, and moving walkway.
