At the very end of July (okay, you caught me - it was early August) I dropped by the National Gallery of Art. I must admit, I wasn't as excited about this museum visit as I've been about some others. It was squeezed into a very busy season, and frankly, I felt like I was checking a box. I was pretty sure I'd visited the Gallery of Art in my early months in DC, so I assumed I could make a quick stop, see the new/traveling exhibits and call it a day.
As soon as I walked in, though, I realized two things: 1) I'd never been to the National Gallery of Art before, and 2) this was going to be a long trip.
I didn't come close to seeing it all, and unfortunately, my camera has eaten the highlights of what I did see.
I spent the bulk of my time in the Chester Dale collection, which is on display through January 2. I was absolutely blown away by how many beautiful and immediately recognizable works Chester and Maud Dale owned. Renoir. Matisse. Cassatt. Monet. Degas. Their art collection absolutely has it all.
I also spent a good amount of time in the Italian Master Drawings collection, which will be on display through November 27. The amount of detail in these drawings is so incredible, and the sheer age of some of the works was enough to make them impressive.
My trip's other highlight? A gelato break at the Cascade Cafe! I'm not big on museum gift shops, but the underground concourse connecting the National Gallery of Art's East and West buildings is so beautiful and boasts an amazing restaurant and gelato/espresso cafe.
The moral of the story: A trip to the museum can truly brighten your day - even on a really busy day when you aren't sure you want to visit a museum at all!
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