So I got to Washington DC. First time in years without young children, so instead of doing the fun childrens stuff like Air and Space, I did a grown up art museum. The portrait gallery was great. Best stuff is on the first floor, portraits of Americans that mostly I had at least heard off, and some about who I know quite a bit. Plus painters I had heard of. You can see the style changes over the years. Eighteenth century and earlier the men wear colorful three piece suits with coats down to their knees. After the revolution the bright colors go away and everyone dresses in black. Beards come back in for the civil war and last for 50 years.
All the faces show determined middle aged men, of the "don't mess with me" sort. Nearly all white, a number of Indians, and a very few blacks.
They have lots of room to expand. The upper floors are clearly waiting for some more stuff to show.
2 comments:
One of the fun things is seeing all those paintings in person that you've seen as icons in history books.
My favorite, though is that huge painting of Grant and his generals, in part to see how many I can name.
I saw that one too. Cool. I'm a civil war buff so I also spent some time seeing who I could recognize.
I did not see a painted portrait of Grant that was as good as that photograph of him wearing his campaign hat, standing, with one hand on a tent pole.
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