Gilbert Stuart (American, North Kingston, Rhode Island 1755–1828 Boston, Massachusetts), Portrait of the Artist, ca. 1786. Oil on canvas, 10 5/8 x 8 7/8 in. (27 x 22.5 cm). Fletcher Fund, 1926; 26.16 © 2000–2016 The Metropolitan Museum of Art. This small...

Outside the East Wing of the National Art Gallery in Washington. Photo: Brendan Smialowski for The New York Times The National Gallery, founded in 1937 as a gift to the nation from the financier Andrew W. Mellon, opened its doors in 1941. It is the jewel...