Floor plan

Time and placeThe United States

The United States

Captain John Gell, by Gilbert Stuart, 1785
Capri, by William Stanley Haseltine, 1869
LOCUST BLOSSOMS
Across a short stretch of sand in front of us, waves of bottle-green water break over two boulders on the shoreline, with sailboats in the water beyond, in this wide, horizontal painting. One boulder is at the left edge of the painting; the other is a short distance away, about a quarter of the way across. The water cascades down between those large rocks. Across the rest of the beach, the waves flare up to break toward us in white, foamy surf. The land curves back into view on both sides of the canvas with muted, sage-green hills and, to our left, dark green trees on more craggy boulders. A more distant finger of land to our left stretches nearly halfway across the horizon, which comes about halfway up the composition. Minuscule in scale there, smoke pours out of a chimney, which is surrounded by pale yellow buildings. A mound emerges from the horizon to our right of center. About ten sailboats float on the water. The closest one to us is near the center of the painting, and the tiny forms of people aboard can just barely be made out. The other boats become smaller as they move back to the horizon, and some are only a touch of white or gray on the canvas. White and pale lavender-purple clouds sweep up from the horizon into the sky, which glows butter yellow along the left edge. The sky cools to mint green in the upper right corner. Several white or brown birds fly across the sky or low over the water. The artist signed and dated the lower left, “M. J. Heade 1864.”
Mother and Son, by Thomas Sully, 1840
The Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey (study for series, The Cross and the World), by Thomas Cole, ca. 1846-1848

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in the United States, from every century in the collection.

First room, north wall

  1. Captain John Gell, by Gilbert Stuart, 1785
    Captain John GellGilbert Stuart, 1785Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  2. Capri, by William Stanley Haseltine, 1869
    CapriWilliam Stanley Haseltine, 1869Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. LOCUST BLOSSOMS
    Locust BlossomsSamuel Colman, June 6, 1877Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum

First room, south wall

  1. Across a short stretch of sand in front of us, waves of bottle-green water break over two boulders on the shoreline, with sailboats in the water beyond, in this wide, horizontal painting. One boulder is at the left edge of the painting; the other is a short distance away, about a quarter of the way across. The water cascades down between those large rocks. Across the rest of the beach, the waves flare up to break toward us in white, foamy surf. The land curves back into view on both sides of the canvas with muted, sage-green hills and, to our left, dark green trees on more craggy boulders. A more distant finger of land to our left stretches nearly halfway across the horizon, which comes about halfway up the composition. Minuscule in scale there, smoke pours out of a chimney, which is surrounded by pale yellow buildings. A mound emerges from the horizon to our right of center. About ten sailboats float on the water. The closest one to us is near the center of the painting, and the tiny forms of people aboard can just barely be made out. The other boats become smaller as they move back to the horizon, and some are only a touch of white or gray on the canvas. White and pale lavender-purple clouds sweep up from the horizon into the sky, which glows butter yellow along the left edge. The sky cools to mint green in the upper right corner. Several white or brown birds fly across the sky or low over the water. The artist signed and dated the lower left, “M. J. Heade 1864.”
    Rio de Janeiro BayMartin Johnson Heade, 1864Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. Mother and Son, by Thomas Sully, 1840
    Mother and SonThomas Sully, 1840Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  3. The Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey (study for series, The Cross and the World), by Thomas Cole, ca. 1846-1848
    The Pilgrim of the Cross at the End of His Journey (study for series, The Cross and the World)Thomas Cole, ca. 1846-1848Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Second room, south wall

  1. The image shows a landscape with a waterscape. The horizon separates the water and the sky. In the distance, there are buildings, structures, and ships with tall masts. Close to us, there are reflections of the ships and structures in the water with fine brushstrokes. The style is impressionistic with thin lines conveying details. The color palette is monochromatic with sepia tones.
    Long LagoonJames McNeill Whistler, 1880Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. "King Lear," Act I, Scene I, by Edwin Austin Abbey, 1898
    "King Lear," Act I, Scene IEdwin Austin Abbey, 1898Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art

Second room, north wall

  1. This is a painting showing two people in nature. The person on the left appears to be running towards the right, with one leg in the air and their arms outstretched. They have tan, golden-toned skin, blond hair, and golden fabric draped loosely around them, billowing backward as they run. On the right is a pale person standing upright in a tree, their arms outstretched. They appear intertwined with the tree, with their feet nestled in the light brown trunk and their head and hands covered in olive-green leaves. The background features indistinct brown shapes against a clear blue sky.
    Apollo and DaphneJohn Singer Sargent, c. 1916/1919Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. AMERICAN PLAINS WITH MOUNTAIN RANGE IN THE DISTANCE
    American Plains with Mountain Range in the DistanceThomas Moran, before 1872Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  3. The image shows an ornate metalwork design with a winged creature. The design features intricate wrought iron decoration with a mythical figure, resembling a Pegasus, enclosed within a circular frame. The central circle is surrounded by symmetrical, stylized scrollwork motifs and horizontal bars, suggesting an architectural or ornamental fixture intended for use in structures like gates or window grills. The detailed craftsmanship and balanced design highlight the creature's form and the harmonious symmetry of the patterns.
    Fence - Sea Horse DesignPearl Torell, c. 1939Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. The image depicts a detailed drawing of a wall-mounted vessel. It consists of a large, spherical body attached to a flat disc, with two smaller protrusions resembling handles or clips. The color palette is monochromatic with shades of gray, giving it a metallic or ceramic appearance. The objects are centrally positioned, with a small inset illustration in the bottom left corner showing annotations. The artist's signature, "A. Marshall," is located near the lower right corner of the image.
    LampArsen Maralian, c. 1936Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Third room, north wall

  1. OTTER CLIFFS
    Otter CliffsArnold William Brunner, 1879–80Courtesy of Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum
  2. The image shows a large wooden chest with a rectangular design and a keyhole on its front panel. The chest has a weathered look in muted browns and grays. It is positioned in the center with its top, front, and side panels visible. The background is plain and light in color.
    Utility ChestHenry Tomaszewski, 1937Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Third room, south wall

  1. The painting depicts a tranquil lake scene with a low horizon line showing a pale green hill in the background under a pale, cloudy sky. Closer to us, on the right, there is a large, textured rock surrounded by greenery and red flowers. In the distance, a wooden dock extends into the lake on the left, and a person wearing red appears to sit or stand with their back to us.
    Landing at Sabbath Day PointJohn Frederick Kensett, c. 1853Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The Oxbow, by Thomas Cole, 1836
    View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunderstorm—The OxbowThomas Cole, 1836Courtesy of The Metropolitan Museum of Art