First ‘Impression’ of NGA’s Newly Renovated 19th Century French Galleries? C’est Magnifique!

NATIONAL MALL -- Hidden behind closed doors and walled-off corridors for more than two years, the 19th century French galleries of the National Gallery of Art will re-open to the general public on Saturday, January 28th much to the delight of art lovers everywhere.

French Ambassador to the U.S. Francois Delattre, curator Mary Morton, and NGA director Earl A. ‘Rusty’ Powell III.
But an intimate crowd of Washington notables was offered a special preview of the newly renovated and freshly curated galleries on Wednesday night, during a private black tie reception held inside the museum’s commanding West Building.

Devoted to the priceless works of art that emanated from the impressionist and post-impressionist art movements, the 14 rooms that make-up the soon-to-open installation are littered with iconic paintings from the likes of Manet, Monet, Renoir, Cezanne, Gauguin, and van Gogh.

Carefully worded texts help guide visitors through the installation -- a first for the collection.
While the appearance of the rooms themselves might not have changed much in the eyes of the average visitor (behind the scenes structural and mechanical improvements were nevertheless extensive), the most exciting part of Saturday’s unveiling will be the newly revealed presentation framework of the included works of art, which are now organized into thematic, monographic, and art historical groupings as spearheaded by curator Mary Morton.

For example, the cityscapes of Manet, Renoir, and Pissaro have been married with one another to highlight the then “new” Paris of the French Second Empire and the Third Republic. One gallery is devoted entirely to the sophisticated color experiments of Monet and another showcases Cezanne’s mastery of landscape art, still-life, and figure painting.

There’s even an entire room full of canvases by the likes of Delacroix, Renoir, and Matisse that is designed to celebrate “exoticism” through the sensual use of color and paint handling.

Franklin Kelly, Houston Kelly, Thomas Krähenbühl, Dr. Dorothy Kosinski, Victoria Sant, Roger Sant, and Earl A. Powell III.
The nearly 400 paintings that make-up the gallery’s French impressionist and post-impressionist collection are some of the institution’s most prized holdings. And 13 of them have been carefully restored for the new installation, including Renoir’s famed Girl with a Watering Can (1876) and Monet’s classic Bridge at Argenteuil (1874).

Given the subject matter, it’s little wonder that Wednesday evening’s reception attracted a stellar crowd of prominent Washingtonians, including members of Congress, trustees of the gallery, prominent donors, and distinguished collectors.

Congressman John Mica.
Spotted mingling with National Gallery of Art director Earl A. ‘Rusty’ Powell III was everyone from His Excellency François Delattre, Ambassador of France to the United States to Sharon Rockefeller to William N. Cafritz to The Phillips Collection director Dorothy Kosinski to Senator Patrick Leahy (D-VT) to Congressman John Mica (R-FL) to Senator Tom Udall (D-NM).

And the smiles and approving nods that abounded clearly indicated that everyone’s first 'impression' of the freshly renovated galleries was quite favorable!