Past Exhibitions

  • African American woman in a gray sweater against a white background

    Visionary: The Cumming Family Collection (Part 1)

    September 18, 2020 - January 24, 2021

    The exhibition will reveal the results of over twenty-five years of inspired collecting by Ian and Annette Cumming.

  • Group of four Danish men

    Portraits of the World: Denmark

    December 13, 2019 - October 12, 2020

    “Portraits of the World: Denmark” will feature the painting “Kunstdommere” (Art Judges) by Michael Ancher (1849–1927), on loan from the Museum of National History in Hillerød, Denmark. 

  • 19th century woman with upswept hair

    John Singer Sargent: Portraits in Charcoal

    February 28, 2020 - March 13, 2020

    In 1907, at the height of his success as a portraitist, John Singer Sargent (1856–1925) astonished the transatlantic art world when he stopped painting portraits in oil. Afterwards, he switched to charcoal, producing several hundred portraits of individuals recognized for their accomplishments in fields such as art, music, literature and theater.

    The museum closed on March 13, 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Woman singing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial

    One Life: Marian Anderson

    June 28, 2019 - March 13, 2020

    This exhibition examines the ways in which artists, concert promoters and others wielded Marian Anderson's iconic likeness as a powerful symbol in the pursuit of civil rights.

    The museum closed on March 13, 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

     

  • man in 18th century naval uniform

    Recent Acquisitions

    November 15, 2019 - March 13, 2020

    The annual exhibition “Recent Acquisitions” showcases 25 portraits to recently enter the Portrait Gallery’s renowned collection. 

    The museum closed on March 13, 2020 in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Woman in a long blue dress carrying a portrait through a wooded area

    The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today

    October 26, 2019 - March 13, 2020

    The Outwin 2019: American Portraiture Today features work by nearly 50 finalists of the Portrait Gallery's latest Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition.

    Tour Schedule

    October 3, 2020 to May 9, 2021
    Michele and Donald D’Amour Museum of Fine Arts
    Springfield Museums
    Springfield, MA

    September 10, 2021 to January 23, 2022
    Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
    Washington University St. Louis, MO

  • Three people talking in a cafe

    in mid-sentence

    May 3, 2019 - March 8, 2020

    “In Mid-Sentence” presents a selection of photographs from the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery’s collection that depict moments of communication: intimate confessions, public speeches, exchanged jokes, political confrontations, lectures and more.

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