National Gallery of Art: West Building ~ May 5, 2012

+ JMJ +

On a breezy Saturday last May,  Robs, the boys and I went to the National Gallery of Art to see a special exhibit on Picasso's early drawings from 1890-1921.  It was very interesting to see how talented he was even at such a young age.  (For more on the exhibit, see this post.)

Here's a picture of Robs and the boys at the side entrance of the NGA's West Building, with a poster of Picasso's self-portrait as a young man, above the door.

After the Picasso Exhibit, we went to see the Sculpture Galleries on the West Building's ground floor.  It had been some time since we were last there.  Muddee had been a baby, so he was seeing everything with new eyes.  We saw ...

The Thinker (Le Penseur) 

by Auguste Rodin 

French, 1840 - 1917

Rodin's "Thinker" exists today in many casts and sizes. More than fifty are known in this size—which is the size of Rodin's original handmade clay model.  (Source)

A smaller sculpture of Rodin's famous "The Kiss" (Le Baiser).  The original bronze sculpture (almost three feet high) was reproduced in bronze and marble, in both enlarged and reduced versions. The National Gallery's diminutive golden bronze work (under ten inches) is one of sixty-nine versions of this size.   

(Source)

 Edgar Degas's original wax statuette of the 
"Little Dancer, Aged Fourteen" (1878 - 1881), 
one of the best-loved sculptures of all time.   
(Source)  

The boys recognized it right away, having first 

seen one of its bronze castings at the 

Musee' D'Orsay in Paris during our 2004 trip.

At the West Building's rotunda in front of the statue of Mercury.

One of the modern sculptures outside of the National Gallery of Art.

In front of the National Gallery's stately Mall entrance.

 

On the broad staircase leading to the colonnaded porch and the building's main entrance.  (The Gallery had just closed for the day.)  It's always so nice to visit this beautiful museum and its collection of great art.

Afterwards, we went to the Sculpture Garden nearby, since the last time we were there, Muddee was so small.  To see that post, go here.