Between the 7th, 9th, F, and G streets in Washington, DC, there is a historical art museum called the National Portrait Gallery, which I visited. Although this art gallery was established in 1962, it wasn't made public until 1968. The museum's holdings are centered on photographs of some of the most well-known Americans, including numerous Presidents (National Portrait Gallery).
The Rich History of the National Portrait Gallery
The museum has a rich history of the United States thanks to all the renowned and infamous people who made significant contributions to the formation of the country. I was looking forward to visiting this art museum and when an opportunity arose in relation to this cultural experience assignment, I would not hesitate. Much is said of the various presidents of the United States but few know of how these individuals looked like in different situations. It was an opportunity to ‘meet’ some of the renowned presidents of America.\nSource: http://www.npg.si.edu/Presidential Portraits: A Major Interest
Over the years, presidential portraits have become of major interests. Most people know previous presidents through sculpted, painted or engraved likeliness. For instance, during the 19th century, there were debates about George Washington on which was the most accurate portrait in terms of recording his posterity. An entry into the museum and seeing some of the presidential portraits was not only amazing but also a special feeling. The media available in the museum for presidential imagery ranged from traditional oil-on canvas and cotton handkerchiefs to marble and sewing-box lids. The gallery is full of a rich variety of presidential likeness. Inside the presidential gallery is a selection of portraits that are unique from each other. In other words, I found some to be striking and sophisticated than others. Moreover, some of the portraits are calculated to impress the hundreds if visitors arriving at the museum with gravity while I found others to be warmly intimate (National Portrait Gallery). Despite the differences in these portraits, what was common in them was evoking the history of the highest office in the United States and the individuals who once occupied it. Being inside the Hall of Presidents gives once a sense of dining with the most powerful men in the history of the country. Each portrait presented a unique time in the history. While I had known some of these presidents, relating what I knew about them with their postures elicited a feeling to be treasured. These portraits provided me with an opportunity to reflect on my life as most of these presidents sacrificed a lot under challenging times to shape the future of the country.The Lansdowne Portrait of George Washington
One of the iconic oil-on-canvas portrait that is not easy to forget is that of George Washington the United States first President called the Lansdowne portrait. The painting was done by American artist Gilbert Stuart showing Washington when he was at the age of 64 when renouncing a 3rd term as a United States President. This portrait is on a permanent display and is full of symbolism. In this painting, Washington is standing up, dressed in a velvet suit, black in color, with a hand that is outstretched. He holds a dress sword, his suit is simple and plain, a symbol of a government that is democratic rather than dictatorship or monarchy. The artist also included other symbols in this image to capture the greatness of a single individual in one setting (The Portrait). This was among the portraits that were influenced by the 17th century art. The image is characterized by a heightened sense of lighting and movement a feature of the art during the 17th century (Artsy). Additionally, the museum has many other collections that have been influenced by 17th century art.Socrates' Critique and the Importance of Art
While this portrait on George Washington is the most iconic in the museum, the thinking of Socrates seeks to discredit it. Socrates had no high regard of art because according to him art is an imitation. According to Socrates, one of the perfect and easy ways of getting accurate imitations is using a mirror. The intention of Socrates was to show that art belonged to the domain of shadows, reflections, dreams, and illusions. Socrates alludes that artists have the lowest knowledge on reality because what they do is just showing appearances (Arthur). However, this thinking is not entirely true when argued on the perspective of objects, animals or humans that do not exist anymore. Art is the perfect way of showing future generations how the past looked like. For instance, George Washington is a significant pillar in the history of the United States. The only way future generations can get a feeling of knowing the first President of the United States is through art. \nSource: http://www.npg.si.edu/Emotions Evoked at the National Portrait Gallery
I gained two emotions from this experience at the National Portrait Gallery. The first emotion was joy. Happiness cut across in all people who had visited the Hall of Presidents at the time I was there. I do not remember any person who wore a sad face during the tour. Everyone was glad to be having an opportunity to see some of these presidents especially the Forefathers. Secondly, I gained admiration of these presidents and the artists who had been able to produce artworks that are so ‘real’. Many of the portraits are extraordinary in their own right. They represent top-notch art that is rare to find.References
Arthur, Danto. “On Art, Action and Meaning.” 3 June 2010. The New York Times. 12 March 2017.
Artsy. “17th Century Art.” 2017. Artsy. 12 March 2017.
National Portrait Gallery. “Presidential Portraits.” 2017. National Portrait Gallery. 12 March 2017.
The Portrait. “George Washington: A National Treasure.” 2017. National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution. 12 March 2017.
