National Gallery of Art - HELP

Frequently Asked Questions: Art Information

The National Gallery of Art offers assistance and information to visitors, answering a range of questions about the permanent collections, special exhibitions, Gallery programs, and activities.

If you have a question, please read through the list of commonly asked questions. If your question is not addressed by the list, please e-mail it to us by clicking on "I still have a question." We will get back to you as soon as possible. Thank you.

  1. Where can I find biographical information on a particular artist?
  2. How do I determine the monetary value of a work of art I own?
  3. How can I sell an artwork to the Gallery?
  4. How can I make a gift to the Gallery?
  5. Where can I find assistance with authentication?
  6. Where can I find answers to questions about conservation and/or restoration?
  7. Where can I purchase reproductions?
  8. Where can I get information on non-Western art?
  9. How may I acquire visual images of artworks in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art?
  10. Where can I learn about special exhibitions?
  11. How do I borrow free educational programs from the National Gallery of Art?
  12. Where can I get information about an object in the National Gallery of Art collection?
  13. Where can I find information about a painting or print I own or have seen that is labeled as being in the National Gallery of Art collection?
  14. How can I find out whether a particular work of art is currently on view at the National Gallery of Art?
  15. Where can I find out who holds the copyright of the work of a particular artist?
  16. How can I learn more about the Gallery's ongoing renovation project?
  17. Where is information on "linking" sites?
  18. I would like to use images from your Web site. How do I secure permission?
  19. I would like to use text from your Web site. How do I secure permission?
  20. I would like to use a screen shot from your Web site. How do I secure permission?

1. Where can I find biographical information on a particular artist?

If the artist is represented in the Gallery's permanent collection, click on "search" on the home page and follow the prompts.

If the artist is not represented in the Gallery's permanent collection, try the following sites:

artarchives.si.edu

www.getty.edu/research/conducting_research/vocabularies/ulan/index.html

You can also visit the reference section of your local library and research the following:

U. Thieme - F. Becker, Allgemeines Lexikon der Bildenden Kunstler

K. G. Saur, Allgemeines Künstlerlexikon

E. Benezit, Dictionnaire des Peintres, Sculpteurs, Dessinateurs et Graveurs

Peter H. Falk, Who Was Who In American Art, 1564-1975

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2. How do I determine the monetary value of a work of art I own?

The National Gallery of Art does not provide monetary information on any work of art.

It may be possible, however, to find information online by using a Web search engine and including some of the following terms:

art price
fine art auction
auction
auction results
art appraisal
art market
art price comparison

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3. How can I sell an artwork to the Gallery?

Sale to the National Gallery of Art:
The Gallery only collects American and European paintings, sculptures, prints, drawings, and photographs dating from the Renaissance to the present day.

Send a letter with high quality photographs, the selling price, and the items' provenance to:

Curator
National Gallery of Art
2000B South Club Drive
Landover, Maryland 20785

Sale to third parties:
You can use a search engine to look-up the following search terms:

online auctions
auction houses
fine art auctions
fine art sales

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4. How can I make a gift to the Gallery?

Information about making a gift to the Gallery, including gifts of art, can be found in "Support the Gallery."

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5. Where can I find assistance with authentication?

Consult the following Web site for a host of excellent ideas:

americanart.si.edu/research/tools/art/

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6. Where can I find answers to questions about conservation and/or restoration?

Consult the following Web site for a host of excellent ideas:

americanart.si.edu/research/tools/art/

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7. Where can I purchase reproductions?

To purchase works in the collection of the National Gallery of Art:

Using the Gallery's Web site navigation links, click on "Gallery Shops" to browse items for sale. If you wish to phone in your order, you can call (800) 697-9350 or (202) 842-6002; if you wish to fax in your order, please fax to (202) 789-3047. You can also purchase reproduction posters from other online sources.

Using a search engine, type in any of the following search terms:

posters
fine art reproductions

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8. Where can I get information on non-Western art?

The National Gallery of Art does not collect non-Western art. For assistance, contact Asian and/or African art museums in your locality.

In Washington DC, the museum of Asian art is the Freer and Sackler Gallery of Art of the Smithsonian Institution.

www.asia.si.edu

The DC area museum of African art the National Museum of African Art of the Smithsonian Institution.

www.nmafa.si.edu

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9. How may I acquire visual images of artworks in the permanent collection of the National Gallery of Art?

Visit the "Visual Services" page for further information and to make a request for images.

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10. Where can I learn about special exhibitions?

At the National Gallery of Art:

For current exhibitions, simply click on the "Exhibitions" link. For upcoming exhibitions, click on the "Upcoming Exhibitions" link from within the exhibitions page. For past exhibitions, click on the "Past Exhibitions" link on the same page.

For exhibitions elsewhere:

Using a search engine, type in the following search terms:

museum exhibitions

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11. How do I borrow free educational programs from the National Gallery of Art?

Visit:

www.nga.gov/education/classroom/loanfinder

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12. Where can I get information about an object in the National Gallery of Art collection?

The entire National Gallery of Art collection is available for searching on our site. Please click on "search" on the home page, then "Search the Collection."

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13. Where can I find information about a painting or print I own or have seen that is labeled as being in the National Gallery of Art collection?

Since it opened to the public in 1941, the Gallery has made available paper reproductions of works in the collection, has published reproductions of its collections in many different types of books, and has had a copyist program that allows people to copy our paintings on their own canvases by working in front of the original painting on easels that we provide. It is, therefore, not unusual to come across a paper reproduction, a painting after a reproduction someone has seen in a book, or a painting someone has made as part of our copyist program. Please click on "search" on the home page, then "Search the Collection" to find out more information about the original work of art that has been reproduced.

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14. How can I find out whether a particular work of art is currently on view at the National Gallery of Art?

Click on "search," then "Search the Collection." Choose a type of search for which you know the information, and follow the prompts to the page that gives you the basic information about the object, and possibly an image and/or brief text. There will often be further menu items that can be explored, and if one of these is "location," follow this link to a diagram of the location of the work in the Gallery. If the "location" link is not listed, the object is not on public view. Check back frequently since our installations do change.

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15. Where can I find out who holds the copyright of the work of a particular artist?

Information can be found online to help answer your questions on copyright for specific artists.

Using a search engine, type in the following search terms:

artist copyright
copyright of artwork

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16. How can I learn more about the Gallery's ongoing renovation project?

On the home page, click on "Planning a Visit."

Then, click on "Renovation Information" under the heading General Information.

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17. Where is information on "linking" sites?

On the Gallery's home page, click on "Contact Us." Then, scroll to the very bottom and the heading Web Site. Click on the highlighted section "linking policy."

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18. I would like to use images from your Web site. How do I secure permission?

To get permission to use images from the NGA Web site, first visit our Image Rights and Reproductions Permissions page for instructions. If you still have a question, please use our general photography inquiries mailbox.

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19. I would like to use text from your Web site. How do I secure permission?

To get permission to use text from the NGA Web site, please send an e-mail to Web feedback, providing the following information:

  • the URL(s) from the NGA site where the text you wish to use can be found
  • an explanation of how you will be using this text (e.g., school paper, newsletter, Web site entry, etc.).

Based on the parameters in which you would like to use the NGA Web material, your request can be answered by the appropriate department.

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20. I would like to use a screen shot from your Web site. How do I secure permission?

To obtain permission to use a screen shot from the NGA Web site, please send an e-mail to Web feedback, providing the following information:

  • the URL(s) from the NGA site of the page you would like to use
  • an explanation of how you will be using this screen shot (e.g., school paper, newsletter, Web site entry, etc.).

Based on your proposed use of NGA Web material, we will forward your request to the appropriate department for a reply.

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If you have a question pertaining to one of the topics below, please click on the specific link to see our listings of frequently asked questions. If you have a question or comment on other topics, please see our Contact Us page for an appropriate e-mail address or phone number. We will get back to you as soon as possible.

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