"Painting is just another way of keeping a diary." ~ Pablo Picasso

Merriam-Webster Dictionary lists 16 definitions for the noun "art" but the one I am interested in today is "the production or expression, according to aesthetic principles, of what is beautiful, appealing or of more than ordinary significance." It was with this expectation of beauty that we headed out last weekend to the National Gallery of Art including its Sculpture Garden- or in other words, outdoor sculpture.

It was a gorgeous day- the sky was blue, the wind was calm and the temperature was "comfortable" - and a stroll through the Sculpture Garden was a perfect way to enjoy being outside. The seventeen sculptures are situated in just over six acres on the National Mall adjacent to the art museum. The sculptures range in size from about four feet to almost twenty feet high and are made of a variety of materials. Some are recognizable as everyday objects (a typewriter eraser, for example) and others are much more abstract. I thought it was interesting that there is a smaller version of the giant spider sculpture that stands next to the National Art Museum in Ottawa, Canada's national capital. I thought the sculpture was peculiar when I saw it in Ottawa- and the smaller version is no less so. After viewing a few pieces, we decided to make it a contest with a winner and a loser... and all the rest would be runner-ups!

We thought the snow sculptures made anonymously by some adventurous visitors were at least as good as the "professional" sculptures and were our choice for "First Runner-Up"!

This sculpture was made in 1973 by an American artist and is loosely based on a French kilometer marker. Made of weathered steel, it has a non-reflective surface. Seriously, I think I could have made this one!

Meet our choice for "Loser!"

Made in 1997 by a British-born artist, this sculpture captures a humorous, poetic essence that bears some resemblance to Rodin's The Thinker. It very much reminded us of Janne's friend's (Emily) artwork. You can visit Emily's website, CityDogs Greeting Cards, to see examples of her work.

And this was our "Winner"- which one would you choose?

The Sculpture Garden was fun but now it was time to see some "serious art." The National Gallery of Art is one of the Smithsonian Museums and, as such, admission is free making "culture" available to everyone. I was surprised (and ecstatic!) to learn that, with the exception of special exhibits, all artwork could be photographed with or without a flash. Wheeee!!!

The "art" begins on the outside with the architecture of the west building.

The interior of the east building is an aesthetically pleasing arrangement of lines, shapes, color and light.

The Gallery is... enormous... with two buildings (each several stories high) connected with an underground (under the street!) concourse. We walked through hall after hall for over four and half hours and didn't begin to see it all. 

There is something very surreal about looking at artwork that is hundreds of years old... at seeing the actual painting that DaVinci or Picasso or Monet painstakingly painted. These are a few of my favorites.

Sometimes art causes an emotional response in us or triggers a memory. Jean Honoré Fragonard, an 18th-century French painter, painted several young girls in moments of quiet solitude. A print of Young Girl Reading hung in my family's home throughout my childhood. It was a favorite of my dad's and we talked about it time and again as I grew up. "What book do you think she's reading?" " Do you suppose yellow is her favorite color?" After my dad died, the print became mine, a cherished possession as it still reminds me of him. 

I loved being able to see the original painting... even more beautiful than the print.

Interspersed among the halls of great paintings and sketches were sculptures and several sculpture halls. Many of the sculptures were carved from marble and were exquisitely beautiful. We were amazed at the detail the artist could obtain as well as the patience required to perfect such an art. 

The sculpture was beautiful to look at- my favorites are Rodin's The Thinker (bottom left) and Thomas Crawford's David Triumphant (bottom right).

After spending hours among the masterpieces, we finally ventured over to the Modern Art exhibits. We walked through several exhibits eventually deciding that most of the paintings weren't really "art." Many of the descriptions hinted at the artist's self-centeredness and relativism- it seemed the paintings were more about the artist than the subject. And for several, it was difficult to even find a subject.

It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What do you think? Is this "art" given the definition at the beginning of this post? We don't think so.

After leaving the Modern Art exhibits, we visited some halls with fourteenth-century paintings. With very few exceptions, they depicted stories from the Bible (as did many paintings through the eighteenth century). The exceptions here were portraits of men, usually family members. It was interesting to see how differently the same story could be illustrated- how the artist emphasized an aspect of the story that was most meaningful to him. I was thinking how our modern art reflects a naturalistic worldview while the centuries-old masterpieces reflect a Christian worldview- not just because they have religious themes, but because they recognize the beauty of God's creation and glorify Him in their work. 

My favorite was Duccio Di Buoninsegna's The Calling of the Apostles Peter and Andrew (right). He worked on it for three years before completing it in 1311.

We very much enjoyed our visit to the National Gallery of Art. Strolling through the fabulous works of art, soaking up culture and beauty, is an outstanding way to spend an afternoon!

I have no idea who the couple is... but their love and appreciation for each other and for art is evident. This is how art is meant to be enjoyed!