Floor plan

Time and placeThe 20th century

The 20th century

The sculpture depicts a mythical creature resembling a dragon. It has a long spiraled body and an intricate head with spiky protrusions. The sculpture is a warm brown color. The dragon has bat-like wings, an open mouth, detailed texture with scales, and is standing on a small base.
Mary, by Henry Ossawa Tanner, ca. 1914
A six-story, narrow building stands alone in an otherwise unoccupied lot under the deck of a high bridge, with a river and cityscape in the background in this horizontal painting. Dozens of people, small in scale, are each painted with a few swipes of black and some with peach-colored faces. They gather at the foot of the building and around a fire to our left, near the lower left corner of the composition. The fire is painted with a dash of orange, a few touches of canary yellow, and a smudge of gray smoke. Several more people stand and sit against the building, which has a streetlamp near its entrance. The back end of the building angles away from us to our right, so we see the narrow, front entrance side to our left. Each of the six floors of the building has two windows with fire escape ladders on the narrow side we can see. Some strokes in red and white on the lower levels of the long, flat side of the building suggest signs or posters. The top story glows a warm sienna brown in sunlight, while the rest of the building and the scene below are in shadow. More people walk along a grayish-violet fence that encloses the lot beyond the building. The ground is painted thickly with slate gray, pale, sage green, and one smear of white to suggest snow. To our right and a short distance from us, a white horse pulls a carriage near the foot of the bridge. The ivory-white, concrete piling rises up and off the right edge of the canvas and supports the deck of the bridge above. Only a sliver of the brick-red underside of the bridge is visible, skimming the top edge of the painting in the upper right corner. Two twiggy, barren trees grow up beyond the muted purple fence, and the landscape beyond is bright in the sunlight. A terracotta-orange building rises along the left edge of the painting, with the area between it and the lot under the bridge filled with thickly painted patches of butter yellow, amethyst purple, and sage green. Beyond that, an ice-blue river flows across the composition. The shore beyond is lined with patches of beige and tan paint that could be buildings. A black tugboat puffs bright white smoke in the river. The sky above is frosty white. The artist signed the work with dark blue in the lower left corner of the painting, “Geo Bellows.”
Madame Helleu Cradling Paulette in Her Arms, by Paul-César Helleu, 1904/1905
The image displays a vintage mechanical bank with a brick-patterned tower on the left and a soldier figure on the right, prepared to operate a cannon. The color scheme is mainly earthy tones including brown, bronze, and hints of gold, creating a retro metallic appearance. The label "ARTILLERY BANK" is engraved on the base in front of the cannon.
Old Woman, by Chaïm Soutine, c. 1923–24
The image shows a translucent pitcher in soft, pale green with swirling, striped patterns and a curved handle. It is placed in the center of the frame, with a neutral off-white background. The spout faces slightly to the left and the handle curves from the right side.
The image shows a dark metal object with two parts: a handle and a blade. The color palette consists of shades of dark brown on a light beige background. The handle is located at the top center, and the blade portion is positioned below it, both aligned vertically in the center of the frame.

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in the 20th century, anywhere in the world.

Section 1, north wall

  1. The sculpture depicts a mythical creature resembling a dragon. It has a long spiraled body and an intricate head with spiky protrusions. The sculpture is a warm brown color. The dragon has bat-like wings, an open mouth, detailed texture with scales, and is standing on a small base.
    FenceRose Campbell-Gerke, c. 1941Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Mary, by Henry Ossawa Tanner, ca. 1914
    MaryHenry Ossawa Tanner, ca. 1914Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  3. A six-story, narrow building stands alone in an otherwise unoccupied lot under the deck of a high bridge, with a river and cityscape in the background in this horizontal painting. Dozens of people, small in scale, are each painted with a few swipes of black and some with peach-colored faces. They gather at the foot of the building and around a fire to our left, near the lower left corner of the composition. The fire is painted with a dash of orange, a few touches of canary yellow, and a smudge of gray smoke. Several more people stand and sit against the building, which has a streetlamp near its entrance. The back end of the building angles away from us to our right, so we see the narrow, front entrance side to our left. Each of the six floors of the building has two windows with fire escape ladders on the narrow side we can see. Some strokes in red and white on the lower levels of the long, flat side of the building suggest signs or posters. The top story glows a warm sienna brown in sunlight, while the rest of the building and the scene below are in shadow. More people walk along a grayish-violet fence that encloses the lot beyond the building. The ground is painted thickly with slate gray, pale, sage green, and one smear of white to suggest snow. To our right and a short distance from us, a white horse pulls a carriage near the foot of the bridge. The ivory-white, concrete piling rises up and off the right edge of the canvas and supports the deck of the bridge above. Only a sliver of the brick-red underside of the bridge is visible, skimming the top edge of the painting in the upper right corner. Two twiggy, barren trees grow up beyond the muted purple fence, and the landscape beyond is bright in the sunlight. A terracotta-orange building rises along the left edge of the painting, with the area between it and the lot under the bridge filled with thickly painted patches of butter yellow, amethyst purple, and sage green. Beyond that, an ice-blue river flows across the composition. The shore beyond is lined with patches of beige and tan paint that could be buildings. A black tugboat puffs bright white smoke in the river. The sky above is frosty white. The artist signed the work with dark blue in the lower left corner of the painting, “Geo Bellows.”
    The Lone TenementGeorge Bellows, 1909Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. Madame Helleu Cradling Paulette in Her Arms, by Paul-César Helleu, 1904/1905
    Madame Helleu Cradling Paulette in Her ArmsPaul-César Helleu, 1904/1905Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 1, south wall

  1. The image displays a vintage mechanical bank with a brick-patterned tower on the left and a soldier figure on the right, prepared to operate a cannon. The color scheme is mainly earthy tones including brown, bronze, and hints of gold, creating a retro metallic appearance. The label "ARTILLERY BANK" is engraved on the base in front of the cannon.
    Mechanical Artillery BankAlf Bruseth, c. 1940Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Old Woman, by Chaïm Soutine, c. 1923–24
    Old WomanChaïm Soutine, c. 1923–24Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. The image shows a translucent pitcher in soft, pale green with swirling, striped patterns and a curved handle. It is placed in the center of the frame, with a neutral off-white background. The spout faces slightly to the left and the handle curves from the right side.
    Glass PitcherBeverly Chichester, c. 1937Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. The image shows a dark metal object with two parts: a handle and a blade. The color palette consists of shades of dark brown on a light beige background. The handle is located at the top center, and the blade portion is positioned below it, both aligned vertically in the center of the frame.
    SpitEmile Cero, c. 1938Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Section 2, south wall

  1. Calligraphic Interior, by H. Lyman Saÿen, ca. 1915
    Calligraphic InteriorH. Lyman Saÿen, ca. 1915Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  2. The image shows a painted artwork within an ornate frame. The artwork features a figure standing with one hand raised. The figure has long hair and a beard, and wears flowing blue and white garments. The background shows an earthy surface and a sky. The frame is gold and elaborately designed. The scene is set against a blank, light-colored background.
    Original Tabernacle, for Communion VesselsDayton Brown, 1936Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. This is a drawing of a decorative mirror. It presents a detailed design of an ornate mirror with two views: a front view and a sectional view. The mirror frame is embellished with elaborate motifs, including scrolls and floral elements. The sectional view shows the mirror's depth and structural details, indicating attention to construction. Measurements are included in inches, with title and notes providing context on the mirror's location and purpose as part of interior furnishings.
    MirrorB. Holst-Grubbe, 1935/1942Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. Wrestlers in a Circus, by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, 1909
    Wrestlers in a CircusErnst Ludwig Kirchner, 1909Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 2, north wall

  1. Lady with the Lute, by Henry Wolf, 1909
    Lady with the LuteHenry Wolf, 1909Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  2. The image shows a wooden drop-leaf table with four turned legs and two drawers. The table's surface includes two side panels that can be raised or lowered. The color palette is warm brown tones. The table is centered in the image, with both leaves partially visible.
    Shaker TableAlfred H. Smith, c. 1938Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. The image shows a wooden duck decoy against a plain, light-colored background. The duck is crafted in various shades of brown, black, and green with subtle highlights in lighter tones. The duck is facing to the right side of the frame, with its head slightly tilted upward.
    DecoyMina Lowry, c. 1940Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. Three Girls and River, by Louis M. Eilshemius, 1907
    Three Girls and RiverLouis M. Eilshemius, 1907Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum