Existing comment:
18th- and 19th-Century Art:
This room contains a selection of European paintings and decorative art from the 18th and 19th centuries. The arrangement of this room, in which works are presented two and three deep on the walls, is usually referred to as being in a "salon style." This manner of hanging paintings was common in the 19th century. With a few exceptions, the works are British and French. Most of them arrived in the institution in 1928, as part of the magnificent gift to the Corcoran from Senator William A. Clark. Senator Clark was especially fond of French art, as it reflected in this display. On the far (south) wall are 18th-century French works, and in the room beyond, the Salon Dore is an example of a complete interior from the period. Adjacent to this on the east wall are 18th-century British paintings. Facing these, on the west wall, which is divided by a 16th-century northern European mantle, there is a selection of largely naturalist French art from the 19th century. And on the north wall, adjacent to this text, is a selection of British, French, and Spanish paintings mainly on exotic and symbolist themes. |