NATIONAL GALLERY, Introduction

Hello, my name’s Rick, and I’m your personal guide. Along with MyWoWo, I’d like to welcome you to one of the wonders of the world: the National Gallery of Art.

This is one of the most significant and extensive art collections in the world, exhibiting various masterpieces and the only painting by Leonardo found on American soil.

The gallery was founded on the initiative of a former United States Secretary of the Treasury, Andrew Mellon. Mellon donated his collection of 121 works of art to the country, which include “St. George and the Dragon” by Raphael and “The Annunciation” by Jan van Eyck, as well as five Rembrandts and several paintings by Titian, in the conviction that other collectors would also be encouraged to do so. Many followed his example and today the gallery has almost 7,500 works that range from Byzantine art to modern day pieces, including, among others, the masterpieces of Leonardo, Vermeer, El Greco, Turner, Monet, van Gogh and Picasso.

In the upcoming audio files, I’ll take you on a tour of their works....