National Gallery of Art - HELP

Site Overview | The Collection | Tour the Collection | Search the Collection | Artist and/or Title Search
Subject Search | Expanded Search | Provenance Search | Accession Number Search | Search Results
Search the Site Object Location Search | Audio Help | Zoomify Help | Frequently Asked Questions
Audio and Video Podcasts and RSS Subscription | Site Map

Site Overview

Welcome to the National Gallery of Art's Web site. The Gallery's extensive collection of paintings, sculpture, decorative arts, and works on paper spans over 600 years of history from the Middle Ages to the present day. To discover more about the Gallery, its programs, collections and exhibitions, select from one of these categories: Planning a Visit, The Collection, Exhibitions, Online Tours, Education, Programs & Events, Resources, Support the Gallery, Gallery Shop, or NGAkids. Or, choose from one of these features: Help, Search, Site Map, Contact Us, and What's New. All of these options appear either in the left margin or on the bottom of each page within this Web site.

You can also return to the Gallery's home page from any location. Just click on either the eagle icon that appears in the left margin or "home" that appears on the bottom of each page. Representative works from the Gallery's collection rotate on the home page at ten minute intervals. Throughout the site, you will find numerous links to related topics or expanded information. Our link color is burgundy and our visited link color is purple.

The Collection

There are two ways to discover more about the Gallery's extensive permanent collection in this Web site. You can "tour" the collection to view works of art grouped by specific tour topics. Or, you can "search" the collection to access information on all of the more than 106,000 objects in the Gallery's collection database.

Tour the Collection
Our collection tours are organized first by medium—Painting, Sculpture, Decorative Arts, Works on Paper, and Architecture—and then by school (example: American) or collection (example: Index of American Design) within medium. Click on the topic of your choice to tour a specific school or collection. A brief description of the section will appear on the next screen. Click on "continue" for more description or click on a legend item (example: Chronology) for information related to the general topic. At the end of each section you are presented with a list of selected tours. Click on a tour title to begin a tour.

When you've accessed a tour, a new screen appears with the tour's title, thumbnail images of featured objects, an overview, and captions for all objects on the tour. If a tour includes audio segments, you can listen to the audio files by clicking on the audio icon Image: RealAudio link (RealAudio). We suggest that you begin a tour by reading or listening to the overview before studying the individual works of art.

Images appear in one of the Gallery's virtual rooms. Click on the number below the image to see the corresponding caption at the bottom of the screen. Click on either the image itself or the corresponding caption to find more in-depth information about the specific work of art. Or, you can click on "next room," "previous room," or a room number in the caption list to visit another room on the tour.

If you click on an image or caption it will bring up an "information page" about the specific work of art. This page includes a larger image of the selected work, a detailed caption, and a descriptive narrative. It also has options for further information such as provenance (the object's ownership history), bibliography, exhibition history (where and when the object has been displayed), full-screen image (also available by clicking on the image itself), detail images (if available), location (map of its position in the museum if it is on view), related audio files, and additional information categories as available. If a reproduction (11" x 14" print or postcard) is available in the Gallery Shop, a "purchase reproduction" option will also appear. Click on this option to bring up a screen where you can order a reproduction. Submitting your final shopping order is a function that can be performed immediately or at the end of your visit.

Once you are on a page for a specific work in a tour, click on "back to gallery" to return to the tour room you just visited, or click on "continue tour" to view the next work of art on the tour.

Click on the artist's name in an object caption to find other works by this artist in the Gallery's collection. The artist page begins with biographical information about the artist. It also has the number of works by associated artists and the number of works after this artist (if applicable), as well as a list by medium of the artist's works in the Gallery's collection. You can now click on an object's title to access an information page about the specific work of art or click on another option to look at the biography, works after this artist, or works by associated artists (if applicable).

Once you have finished your tour, you can either choose to go on another tour within the specific school or collection, or make a selection in another one of the main options. Just click on "the collection" located either at the bottom of each page or in the left margin to return to this main menu.

Search the Collection

Artist and/or Title Search
Fill in either the artist's last name (example: Monet) and/or key words in a work of art's title (example: cathedral). Then, click on "images only" if you want to limit your search to only those objects with an image in the Web site. If you want to change any information before you begin your search, click on "Reset" and make the necessary changes. Now, click on "Search" to access the information you requested.

If your search includes an artist's last name that has more than one possible match (example: Smith), a new screen appears. Use the pull-down menu to chose the artist you want and then click on "Search." Some artists may also have more than one name in our database. If this is the case, then he or she can be found by any of the alternate names included in parentheses in the artist pull-down menu.

With the artist's name search, the computer will look for anything that begins with the characters you enter. Character strings, rather than discrete words, are searched; thus a query on remb will retrieve Rembrandt van Rijn and Rembshart, Karl.

If you filled in key words in a work of art's title, the computer will select records for objects that include the word(s) you entered. For example, if you enter feast as a title, your search results will include all works of art in the Gallery's collection with this word in the title (The Feast of the Gods, The Feast of the Pharisees, etc.). Within a title, common words like a, and, or the are not indexed and therefore will be ignored.

Search Results

Subject Search
Use Subject Search to browse the Gallery's collection by subject category. Each subject may also contain subcategories so that you can focus on an area of interest. To perform a subject search, click on a main subject category (example: animal). By default your search will be limited to objects with an image in the Web site. Click on "images only" if you want to deselect this option and find all objects in a subject category regardless of image availability. If you want to change any information before you begin your search, click on "Reset" and make the necessary changes. Now, click on "Search" to access the information you requested.

If the subject category that you select (example: animal) has subcategories (example: bird), another screen will appear. Use the subcategories to further define your area of interest. If no subcategories are selected, all works of art associated with the larger subject will be returned.

Search Results

Expanded Search
With the Expanded Search you can combine the artist's name and work of art's title with other criteria such as school (example: French), style (example: Impressionist), year created (example: from 1800 to 1900), medium (example: Painting), and popular subjects (example: Landscape). To access information, you do not need to fill in all of the fields. Your search criteria will be combined using the boolean operator "and."

For example, if you want to find all landscape paintings by British artists in the Gallery's collection, you would choose British from the School pull-down menu, Painting from the Medium pull-down menu, and Landscape from the Popular Subjects pull-down menu. To use one of these features, click on the arrow of the corresponding pull-down menu and drag your mouse so that your selection appears in the blank. Click on "images only" if you want to limit your search to only those objects with an image in the Web site. If you want to change any information before you begin your search, click on "Reset" and make the necessary changes. Now, click on "Search" to access the information you requested.

Provenance Search
Fill in the last name of a former owner (example: Kress). If you want to limit your search to only those objects with an image available, click on "images only." If you want to change any information before you begin your search, click on "Reset" and make the necessary changes. Now, click on "Search" to access the information you requested. If your search includes a last name that has more than one possible match (example: Mellon), a new screen appears. Use the menu to choose the name you want to research and then click on "Search." Some former owners may be catalogued by more than one name in our database. If this is the case, then he or she can be found by any of the alternate names included in parentheses in the search result listing. With the provenance name search, the search engine will look for names that begin with the characters you enter. Character strings, rather than discrete words, are searched; thus a query on Rose will retrieve Roseberg, 5th Earl as well as Rosenberg & Co.

Accession Number Search
Locate information about a specific work of art in the Gallery's collection by entering the accession number of the object. Each work in the collection is assigned an individual three-part number. The first number indicates the year the object was accessioned; the second number indicates in sequence the transaction by which the object(s) was formally received or purchased; the third number indicates how many objects passed to the museum in a given transaction.

Search Results
You have two viewing options for search results. If you select "images only" your search results will be presented as individual thumbnail images with brief captions. Each image is identified by a number that links to a caption at the bottom of the page. To select an object, click on its image or caption. For results that cover multiple pages, click on "next page" at the bottom of the page or the number of the page that you want to view.

Query results that are not limited to "images only" are presented in lists. For example, if your search is restricted to the work of a single artist, the result page begins with biographical information about the artist. It also has the number of works by associated artists and the number of works after this artist (if applicable), as well as a list by medium of all the artist's works in the Gallery's collection. You can now click on an object's title to view an information page about the specific work of art or click on another option to look at the artist's biography, works after this artist, or works by associated artists (if applicable).

If your request is not restricted to a single artist, objects found in the search are sorted alphabetically by the name of the artist, and within artist by object title. If an image is available in the Web site, this will be indicated in the object description. Click on an object's title to access an information page about the specific work of art. (See "Tour the Collection" for a description of the information page.)

For each search conducted, the number of matching records found is indicated. In addition, all result sets restate your original search criteria.

Search the Site

Use Search the Site to search the Gallery's Web pages for a word or phrase. Your search results will be presented as a list of links. Clicking on a link will take you to the top of the page that contains the word or phrase you entered. Please note that the Search the Site function does not extend to the Gallery's collection database. If you are looking for works of art in the collection, please use one of the Search the Collection options.

Object Location Search

If you would like to find the location of a specific work of art on view at the National Gallery, you can do so through the collection search function on our Web site. First, search for the specific object by using one of the collection search functions (see, Search the Collection). When you arrive at the object information page, scroll to the bottom of the page where you will see a list of clickable menu items, which may include some, or all of the following: full screen image; bibliography; details; exhibition history; inscription; location; provenance; purchase reproduction; tour, and others. If the work you have searched is currently on view, you will see the word "location" in this list. Click on the word "location" and it will take you to a page with the exact location of the specific work, as well as a list of other works in the same gallery. The locations of all the objects in the Gallery's permanent collection are updated everyday on the Web site. If you do not see the word "location" in the list, the work is not on public view the day you are accessing the object information page.

Audio Help

You can download and play any of the songs or audio clips available on our Web site if you have a media player on your computer. Most PCs running Windows 98 or later include Windows Media software. Macintosh computers commonly include iTunes software. If your computer does not have a media player, or if you want to download an up-to-date version, click one of the download links below. Once you are finished installing the player, simply return to the page you were viewing.

Download Windows Media Player for the PC
Download Windows Media Player for the Mac

Download RealOne Player for the PC
Download RealOne Player for the Mac

Download iTunes for the Mac or PC
Zoomify™ Help

You can interact with selected images on our Web site with the Zoomify Viewer, if you have Flash Player downloaded on your computer. To use the Zoomify application to see enlarged details of an object:

1) Click on the image to zoom in. Repeated clicks on the image offer a closer view. Click on the image and drag your mouse to move left, right, up, or down to view specific details.

2) Use the arrows on the navigation bar below the image to zoom in, zoom out, move left, up, down, right, or reload the image to its original size.

3) Use your keyboard keys A and Z to zoom in and out and the keyboard arrow keys to move left, right, up, or down.

4) Drag the slider, found at the top of the toolbar, to zoom in and out.

A selection of the images that you can view with Zoomify are accompanied by an additional navigation component. To use this component, click and drag the rectangle within the smaller image to view a specific detail in the main image window.

Download Flash Player
Frequently Asked Questions

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.

Art Information

Internships

Virtual Tours

Auditorium Programs
Audio and Video Podcasts and RSS Subscription

The National Gallery of Art offers visitors an alternate method for enjoying audio and video programming. You may listen on your computer or download them for use with any portable MP3 player. You may also subscribe to receive new National Gallery of Art episodes automatically, as soon as they become available. Although some are produced in conjunction with specific exhibitions, these episodes include special features that may be enjoyed before or after a visit to the Gallery—or simply on their own, even after an exhibition has closed. You do not need an iPod to listen to a podcast audio program.

1. What is a podcast and what does mean?
The term podcast is a fusion of the words iPod and broadcast and refers to a method of disseminating audio programs via the Internet. Users may subscribe to a podcast feed to receive new episodes automatically or they may download and save selected episodes as individual audio files.

2. How much do subscriptions to podcast episodes cost?
National Gallery of Art podcasts are free, whether you download one episode or subscribe to receive all episodes automatically.

3. How can I access the podcast?
There are several ways to enjoy National Gallery of Art podcast episodes.
a. Download the individual MP3 file to your desktop or audio player.
b. Subscribe via iTunes.
c. Subscribe via an alternate RSS aggregator; copy and paste the URL (below) into your podcast subscription software.

4. What is RSS?
RSS is an acroynm for "Really Simple Syndication," and is a way of distributing information on the Web. An RSS document, referred to as a feed, Web feed, or channel, contains either a summary of content from an associated Web site or the full text. RSS makes it possible for people to keep current with the Web sites they have self-selected in an automated manner, which is easier than checking the sites manually.

Clicking the RSS icon in your Web browser typically takes you to a page of cryptic code, known as XML. This code contains Web information and instructions known as a "feed." Our feeds contain brief summaries and links to content on our Web site, such as current exhibitions and special events.

RSS is similar to a newswire service. Since it is syndicated, when we publish information on our Web site as RSS it can be displayed by Web users, Web sites, and other organizations.

5. What do I need to receive RSS feeds?
Accessing RSS feeds requires a reader, also referred to as an aggregator. Readers collect syndicated Web content (such as news headlines, blogs, and podcasts) in a single location to form a “personal newspaper,” using either a software application or a Web site. If when you click on the orange icon you see lines of XML code, then you do not have a Web browser-based reader installed. If your Web browser does not have a built-in reader, you will need to download and install one. You can find a variety of readers, many of which are free, by searching for "RSS Feed Readers" in your search engine.

Once you have installed a reader or compatible browser, subscribing to our RSS feed is simple. Just click on the orange icon rss feed to view the rendered feed and select your subscribe option. The reader checks your subscribed feeds regularly for new content, downloading any updates that it finds.

PC
IE: Right-click the orange XML icon and select "Copy Shortcut."
Firefox/Netscape/Mozilla: Right-click on the orange XML icon and select "Copy Link Location."

Macintosh
IE: Click and hold or control-click the orange XML icon and select "Copy Link Location."
Firefox/Netscape/Mozilla: Click and hold or command-click the orange XML icon and select "Copy Link Location."
Safari: Control-click the orange XML icon and select "Copy Link to Clipboard."

Then follow the instructions for your particular newsreader to add the feed to your list of subscriptions.

6. Why should I subscribe to the RSS feeds?
RSS allows you to save time and receive only the information you want. With RSS, you can stay informed of everything going on at the National Gallery of Art without continually visiting our Web site. Instead, our content comes directly to your XML-compatible device—your computer, cell phone, pager, or PDA—daily.

rss feed Video
http://www.nga.gov/podcasts/nga_itunes.xml

iTunes-Video
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=262840395
rss feed Audio
http://www.nga.gov/podcasts/bhts.xml

iTunes-Audio
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=262840395
rss feed What's New at the National Gallery of Art
http://www.nga.gov/highlights/index_rss.xml
rss feed Press Office
http://www.nga.gov/press/press_feed.xml