National Gallery

The idea for the Gallery originated with Andrew Mellon (1855-1937), a prominent businessman, philanthropist and art collector who served as Treasury Secretary under three Presidents during the 1920s and 1930s. Toward the end of his life, Mellon wrote to President Franklin Roosevelt proposing the creation of a national repository for European painting and sculpture. Mellon offered to donate his personal collection as the foundation of the Gallery, as well as to finance the design and construction of the museum itself. To highlight the civic character of the institution, Mellon insisted that it not bear his name.

Although Mellon died shortly after the project began, his vision endured. At the Gallery’s official opening in March 1941, Roosevelt spoke of the institution in terms of the nation’s ideals. “The dedication of this Gallery to a living past, and to a greater and more richly living future,” he said, “is the measure of the earnestness of our intention that the freedom of the human spirit shall go on, too.”

From its inception, the Gallery represented a joint venture of private and public resources. While Mellon’s original bequest established a sizable endowment – his collection contained 126 paintings and 26 sculptures, many of them masterpieces – the Gallery ultimately gained its preeminence through the generosity of subsequent individuals and families. Several notable collectors came forward to expand the museum’s holdings, among them Samuel Kress and Joseph E. Widener, as well as Mellon’s own children, Paul and Aisla. This group of donors became known as the founding benefactors.

For its part, the government committed to financing the Gallery’s maintenance and other operating costs. This budget included funding a horticultural department for the creation and upkeep of public gardens. In addition to providing open access to its exhibitions, federal spending also covered the development of free programs such as tours and lectures. In 1942, the National Gallery launched a Sunday concert series, which has since become the longest-running public music event in the nation’s capital.

The National Gallery has expanded significantly over the decades. Designed by I.M. Pei, the East Building houses updated research and library facilities, another valuable public resource. In addition to its permanent collection, the institution sponsors special exhibitions, funds fellowships and offers educational programs. Fueled by private generosity and underwritten by federal support, the National Gallery remains one of America’s greatest civic achievements – as well as a self-sustaining gift for future generations.

Contributors: Maha Tazi, Stephen Meyer