Sunday, December 18, 2011

Corcoran Gallery of Art

Let's return to Washington, DC to visit another great museum. The Corcoran is a privately funded museum of art with some great European pieces like the 18th century panelled room, the Salon Doré (1714), above, but specializes in American artists.
John and I loved John Singer Sargent's portrait of Marie Buloz Pailleron (1879) in a room of American impressionists.
I caught a napping guard near Albert Bierstadt's Last of the Buffalo (1888) in the 19th century American rooms.
John unflinchingly faces a band of lilliputian cowpokes riding into town in Frederick Remington's 1903 bronze, Off the Range.
I caught a sporty young visitor reading the label for George Bellows' Forty-two Kids (1907).
The same visitor looked like he would fit right in on board the sailboat in Edward Hopper's Groundswell (1926) in the 20th century American rooms.
I loved this lovely, young docent checking her cell phone in the upper American galleries. That's local artist, Gene Davis' Black Popcorn (1965) to her left.
We've seen some great examples of Abstract Expressionist, Joan Mitchell's work in Washington. John is absorbing one of her largest canvases, Salut Tom (1979), painted at her residence outside Paris, France.
We weren't allowed to photograph the special exhibition of contemporary Black artists, 30 Americans, on the second floor but I did get this shot of the double-atrium of the Beaux-Arts building. That's the Muse Café at the bottom.
In fact, the museum cafeteria is where we headed next. We highly recommend it!
John caught this portrait of the charming receptionist for the Muse Café. The restaurant specializes in fresh, sustainable, local produce and a menu designed by chef, Todd Gray. We chose the soup and sandwich combo.
John added a local brew and I had local, hot cider.
John takes great food shots. This is our Curried Cauliflower soup
and this was our Wild Card sandwich of local veggies paired with local cheese. Don't miss the Muse Café! It's a special way to end a visit to the Corcoran.

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