Freer Gallery of Art facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Freer Gallery of Art

Established	1923
Location	1050 Independence Avenue Washington, D.C.
Public transit access	Smithsonian

The Freer Gallery of Art is a cool art museum in Washington, D.C.. It's part of the Smithsonian Institution. This museum mainly shows off amazing Asian art.

The Freer Gallery and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery work together. They form the National Museum of Asian Art in the United States. These two galleries have the biggest library for Asian art research in the country.

You can find art from all over Asia here. This includes East Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Islamic world. There's also art from the ancient Near East and ancient Egypt. Plus, they have a special collection of American art.

The gallery is on the south side of the National Mall in Washington, D.C. It's right next to the Sackler Gallery. The museum is open almost every day of the year, except for Christmas. Both galleries are run by the same team. They are among the most visited art museums in the world.

The Freer Gallery holds over 26,000 art pieces. These objects cover 6,000 years of history. You can see ancient Egyptian sculptures and wooden items. There are also old Near Eastern ceramics and metalware. The museum has beautiful Chinese paintings and pottery. You'll also find Korean pottery and porcelain, Japanese folding screens, and Persian manuscripts. Don't miss the Buddhist sculpture.

Besides Asian art, the Freer Gallery has a famous American artwork. It's called Harmony in Blue and Gold: The Peacock Room. This piece by James McNeill Whistler is a highlight of the American art collection.

The museum offers free tours for everyone. They also have many events like films, talks, concerts, and performances. You can search and view over 11,000 objects from the Freer and Sackler collections online. The Freer Gallery was even part of the Google Art Project. This project lets you see close-up views of some of their art online.

How the Freer Gallery Started

Entrance to the Freer Gallery of Art

The Freer Gallery was created by Charles Lang Freer. He was a railroad-car maker from Detroit. Freer was also a self-taught art expert. He owned the largest collection of works by American artist James McNeill Whistler. Freer became a good friend and supporter of Whistler. Whistler told Freer that his art collection should be shown in a city where many tourists visit.

In 1908, Charles Moore became friends with Freer. Moore convinced Freer to show his 8,000-piece collection of Asian art in Washington, D.C. Freer then suggested to President Theodore Roosevelt that he would give his art collection to the nation. He also offered money to build a museum and an endowment fund. This fund would help study and buy "very fine examples of Oriental, Egyptian, and Near Eastern fine arts."

The Smithsonian Board of Regents accepted Freer's gift in 1906. Freer had some special rules in his will. Only art from his collection could be shown in the gallery. Also, none of the art could be displayed anywhere else. Freer believed that all the museum's art should always be easy for scholars to see. He also wanted to control the collection until he died. The Smithsonian was unsure about these rules at first. But President Theodore Roosevelt stepped in, and the project went ahead. The Freer Gallery has a letter from Roosevelt inviting Freer to the White House. This shows how much Roosevelt cared about the museum. Sadly, Freer passed away before the art gallery was finished.

Building the Museum

Drawing of the North Elevation

Building the gallery started in 1916. It was finished in 1921, after a delay because of World War I. The Freer Gallery of Art opened to the public on May 9, 1923.

The museum was designed by American architect Charles A. Platt. The Freer looks like an Italian Renaissance-style building. This design was inspired by Freer's trips to old palaces in Italy. It's said that Freer quickly sketched his ideas for a classic building on a napkin.

The gallery is mostly made of granite. The outside of the Freer is pink granite from Massachusetts. The courtyard has a red granite fountain. Its walls are made of white marble. Inside, the walls are limestone, and the floors are polished marble.

The building had a big makeover in the early 1990s. This renovation connected the Freer and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. This added much more space for art and storage. The original design by Platt is still there. This includes the Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Auditorium. This auditorium is used for many public events.

What You Can See at the Freer

Inside the Freer Gallery of Art

This earthenware dish from 9th century Abbasid, Iraq is one of the many artifacts exhibited at the Freer Gallery.

One of Charles Lang Freer's main rules was that only items from his collection could be shown. Because of this, the Freer Gallery does not borrow or lend art to other museums. But with 26,000 objects, they still have amazing and deep collections.

The Freer also has special exhibits that change over time. These temporary shows keep things fresh and exciting for visitors.

American Art at the Freer

The Peacock Room by Whistler

Freer started collecting American art in the 1880s. In 1890, he met James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Whistler was an American artist who loved Japanese prints and Chinese ceramics. After meeting him, Freer started collecting Asian art too. But he still loved American art. He gathered over 1,300 works by Whistler. This is known as the best Whistler collection in the world.

One of the most famous parts of the Freer is The Peacock Room. This is a very fancy dining room from London. Whistler painted it in 1876–77. He designed it for a British shipping owner named Frederick Richards Leyland. The room is covered in beautiful green and gold peacock designs. Freer bought it in 1904. It was set up in the Freer Gallery after he died. The Peacock Room is always on display. It has been carefully restored several times to keep it looking its best.

The Freer also has art by other famous American artists. These include Thomas Dewing, Dwight Tryon, Abbott Handerson Thayer, Childe Hassam, Winslow Homer, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, Willard Metcalf, John Singer Sargent, and John Twachtman.

Online Resources and Archives

The Freer and Sackler galleries offer many online tools. You can explore Asian art and American art collections from home. Besides the art objects, thousands of photos, old diaries, maps, and carvings are online. Researchers from all over the world use these digital resources.

The Freer|Sackler Archives has over 120 important collections of old papers. These papers help us learn about how America discovered Asian art and culture. The main collection is Charles Lang Freer's own papers. This includes his buying records, diaries, and letters. His many letters with James McNeill Whistler are a huge source of information about the American artist. The Archives also has over 125,000 photos of Asia from the 1800s and early 1900s.

The Freer|Sackler Library is the biggest library for Asian art research in the United States. It's open to the public five days a week. The library has more than 86,000 books. About half of these books are in Asian languages. This library helps the museums with their collections, exhibits, and research.

Fun Public Programs

The Eugene and Agnes E. Meyer Auditorium is inside the Freer Gallery. It's named after Eugene Meyer and Agnes E. Meyer. This auditorium hosts many free public events. You can enjoy concerts, dance shows, talks, and plays. It's also known for its film series. These films show different Asian cultures, like Korean and Iranian movies.

Recently, the museums started "Asia After Dark" events. These open the museum in the evening for music, dancing, Asian food, and other fun activities. For example, in 2011, they hosted Steve Aoki for a "We Stand With Japan" event.

You can also join free daily tours. Guides will show you around the main exhibits. They also focus on special themes in both the Freer and Sackler galleries. Many public lectures offer deeper insights from artists and experts.

Caring for the Art

Caring for the art started even before the museum opened. Charles Lang Freer hired Japanese art restorers. They took care of his paintings and got them ready for the Smithsonian. In 1932, the Freer Gallery hired a full-time Japanese restorer. This led to the East Asian Painting Conservation Studio. It's one of the few places in the U.S. that specializes in fixing Asian paintings.

In 1951, the Technical Laboratory was created. This was the first Smithsonian place to use science to study art. Over the years, this lab grew to include objects, paper, and exhibit care. In 1990, the Technical Laboratory and the East Asian Painting Conservation Studio joined. They formed the Department of Conservation and Scientific Research for both galleries.

The experts in this department care for and fix the artworks. They also get them ready for shows. They make sure the art is stored safely and handled with care. They also check art that the museum might buy. These experts often work with scientists on research. They also train future art conservators and teach the public about art care.

Gallery

American Art

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  The Princess from the Land of Porcelain by James Abbott McNeill Whistler. Oil on canvas, 1863 - 1865

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  Early Evening by Winslow Homer. Oil on canvas, 1881

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  Portrait of Mrs. Brush, by George de Forest Brush. Oil on canvas, 1888

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  Breakfast in the Loggia by John Singer Sargent. Oil on canvas, 1910

Ancient Egyptian Art

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  Head of a pharaoh wearing the White Crown (hedjet) of Upper Egypt. Diorite. Old Kingdom, 5th or 6th Dynasty (2494–2181 BC)

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  Miniature glassware vessels. New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty (1550–1307 BC)

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  Plaque depicting a goose. Limestone. 26th Dynasty (664-525 BC)

Ancient Near Eastern Art

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  Shapur Hunting Plate. Silver and gilt. Sasanian Empire, reign of Shapur II (301-379)

Arts of the Islamic World

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  Folio from the Quran manuscript. Ink, color and gold on parchment. Abbasid period, 9th-10th century

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  Golden Ewer inscribed with name and titles of Izz al-Dawla (r. 967 - 978)

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  Samanid Bowl. Earthenware painted under glaze. 10th century

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  Candlestick. Brass inlaid with copper, silver, and black organic material. Seljuk period, c. 1150-1200.

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  Plate made by Abu Zayd Kashani. Lustreware. Kashan, December 1210

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  Canteen with the designs of both Christian and Islamic origin. Brass, silver inlay. Syria or Northern Iraq, mid-13th century

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  Beaker. Glass. Mamluk period, Syria, late 13th-century,

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  Sam granting an audience to Queen Sindukht, Folio from the "Freer Small Shahnama". Ilkhanid period, early 14th century

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  Folio from a Divan (collected poems) by Sultan Ahmad Jalayir, with calligraphy attributed to Mir Ali Tabrizi and drawings attributed to Abd al-Hayy. Jalayirid period, Baghdad or Tabriz, c. 1400

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  Plate. Iznik pottery. Ottoman period, İznik, early 16th century,

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  Majnun approaches the camp of Layli’s caravan by Shaykh Mohammad Sabzevari, Folio from the manuscript of Haft Awrang by Jami. Safavid period, 1556-1565

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  Monochrome ceramic bottle. Fritware painted under glaze. Safavid Iran, 17th century

Biblical Manuscripts

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  Washington manuscript I. Greek parchment codex, containing Deuteronomy and Joshua. Early 5th century

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  Washington Manuscript II (Rahlfs 1219). Greek parchment codex of the Psalms. 5th century CE

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  Codex Washingtonianus. Greek parchment codex with Gospels. 4th or 5th century

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  Washington Manuscript IV (Codex Freerianus). Greek vellum codex. 5th century CE

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  Washington Manuscript V. Greek on papyri, Twelve Minor Prophets. 3rd century CE

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  St. John of the Ladder (Climacus): illustration from a Klimax manuscript. Byzantine period, early 12th century

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  Portrait of Saint Mark in Armenian Gospel manuscript. Yohanes, Armenia, 1253

Chinese Art

Japanese Art

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  The Buddha at Birth. Gilt bronze. Asuka period, 7th century

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  Lotus Sutra. Ink, gold, silver, and color on paper. Late Heian period, mid 12th century

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  Guardian figure. Wood. Kamakura period, early 14th century

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  Buddhist Luohan by Ryōzen. Hanging scroll. Nanboku-chō period, mid-14th century

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  Birds and Flowers of the Four Seasons: Autumn and Winter by Sesshū Tōyō. Screen (six-panel). Muromachi period, late 15th-early 16th century

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  Karatsu Vase, with lacquer lid for use as tea ceremony water jar. Momoyama period, 1596-1615

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  A festival at the Sumiyoshi Shrine. Color and gold on paper. Edo period, early 17th century

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  A Shinto Priest, Three Women and a Child by Katsushika Hokusai. Ink, gold, and color on paper. Edo period, ca. 1799-1801

Korean Art

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  Cinerary urn. Unglazed stoneware. Silla, early 8th century

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  Wine ewer in the form of a melon. Stoneware with black inlay under celadon glaze. Gangjin kilns, Goryeo period, second half of 12th-early 13th century

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  Ewer. Stoneware with copper-red pigment and white slip under celadon glaze. Gangjin or Buan kilns, Goryeo period, mid 13th century

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  Water-moon Avalokiteśvara (Suwol Gwaneum bosal). Ink, color and gold on silk. Late Goryeo period, mid-14th century

South Asian & Himalayan Art

Southeast Asian Art

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  Standing Buddha and tabernacle. Bronze. Thailand, 12th-13th century

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  Dish. Stoneware with white slip and cobalt pigment under colorless glaze. Red River Delta kilns, Lê dynasty, 15th-century

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  Jar. Stoneware with cobalt pigment under clear glaze. Red River Delta kilns, Lê dynasty, 15th-century

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  Head of a Buddha. Bronze with glass and mother-of-pearl. Thailand, Ayutthaya period, ca. 1700

See also

In Spanish: Galería Freer para niños

• Biblical Manuscripts in the Freer Collection
• Pewabic Pottery
• Ernst Herzfeld and Persepolis
• Zhou Jichang
• Charles Lang Freer medal
• Lin Tinggui
• J. Keith Wilson