Pics from the National Art Gallery

In the busy visit to DC, I was only able to see one museum. Happily, it was a museum that I had never visited before. I stopped into the West Wing of the National Art Gallery and made a B-line for the classical and Renaissance art. Specifically religious art from the 15th and 16th centuries and preferably by Italian and Spanish painters. I'm pretty interested in all of the religious iconography and the interplay between different saints and the Holy family. I like to test myself and see how much I can recognize in the painting before consulting the description tag. But, most importantly, I really enjoy absorbing the beauty and devoutness (I'm pretty sure that's not a word, but whatever) expressed in the paintings by the artists. 

I also got to see the famous painting of Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire! I was EXTREMELY stoked about that one!

So, without further ado and with the exception of the first painting, here is my photographic collection of paintings from the NGA!

Georgiana. If you haven't read about her life, YOU MUST!

Fascinating stuff, I tell you.

Christ, washing the feet of the Apostles at the last supper.

A triptych of the Crucifixion

St. Francis (of Assisi) in prayer. 

He's kinda my patron saint.

Plus he is the patron saint of animals, so that's a bonus.

St. Cecilia being visited by an angel.

The Boy was born on St. Cecilia's Day.

She's the patron saint of music ... as the image depicts. 

Veronica's veil.

After she offered it to Christ to wipe his face during the Passion, it was embossed with Christ's face. This is a painting, of course. Not the actual veil. :)

A relief of the Madonna with Child.

The Crucifixion. Mary has fainted in the foreground.

Mary and the Apostles (along with Mary Magdelene) retrieving the body of Christ.

I was particularly interested in this painting. It is of the Magdelene (Mary Magdelene). She is so beautiful and peaceful and serene, not at all the whore that she is often portrayed as. 

Girl with Shell. 

A non-religious sculpture, but I found the pair to be very playful and fun.

Here is Puck. I love how mischievous his face is!

The Nativity.

A bust of the Madonna.

And there you have it, my friends!