Floor plan

Time and placeThe 20th century

The 20th century

The Fan Tree, by Ernest Haskell, ca. 1915
Christ, by Kenyon Cox, 1905
This is a drawing of a decorative vase design. The central focus of the image is a detailed drawing of a vase with a bulbous body and a flared top, placed on an intricately designed tall stand. The stand features elaborate ornate patterns, giving it an almost floral appearance with its swirling details and golden hue. The vase itself has subtle decorative elements engraved or painted around its surface. Surrounding the primary image are additional sketches showcasing different parts and views of the vase, such as its profile, the pattern, and cross-sectional diagrams. These supplementary sketches provide further insight into the structural and decorative design aspects of the vase. The careful attention to scale and detail suggests this is a design blueprint for a piece of decorative art.
The Stranger, by Albert Sterner, 1916
The image shows a wooden chair with a tall back featuring three wide horizontal slats. The chair has an upholstered seat, likely grey or muted in color. The color palette consists of natural wood tones and a neutral seat color. The chair is facing slightly to the left with the seat slightly tilted.
The image shows a large ceramic vase with two curved handles positioned near the top on either side. The vase has an earthy color palette with shades of brown, beige, and a subtle hint of reddish-brown forming a band around its middle. The vase is centrally placed on a flat surface, and both handles extend outward at the top.
On the Beach, No. 3, by Maurice Prendergast, c. 1915–18
Lady with the Lute, by Henry Wolf, 1909

The works in this room are listed below.

Works in this room

Works made in the 20th century, anywhere in the world.

Section 1, north wall

  1. The Fan Tree, by Ernest Haskell, ca. 1915
    The Fan TreeErnest Haskell, ca. 1915Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum
  2. Christ, by Kenyon Cox, 1905
    ChristKenyon Cox, 1905Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  3. This is a drawing of a decorative vase design. The central focus of the image is a detailed drawing of a vase with a bulbous body and a flared top, placed on an intricately designed tall stand. The stand features elaborate ornate patterns, giving it an almost floral appearance with its swirling details and golden hue. The vase itself has subtle decorative elements engraved or painted around its surface. Surrounding the primary image are additional sketches showcasing different parts and views of the vase, such as its profile, the pattern, and cross-sectional diagrams. These supplementary sketches provide further insight into the structural and decorative design aspects of the vase. The careful attention to scale and detail suggests this is a design blueprint for a piece of decorative art.
    Metal Base LampHenry Meyers, c. 1936Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. The Stranger, by Albert Sterner, 1916
    The StrangerAlbert Sterner, 1916Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Section 1, south wall

  1. The image shows a wooden chair with a tall back featuring three wide horizontal slats. The chair has an upholstered seat, likely grey or muted in color. The color palette consists of natural wood tones and a neutral seat color. The chair is facing slightly to the left with the seat slightly tilted.
    Shaker Side ChairRay Holden, c. 1937Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. The image shows a large ceramic vase with two curved handles positioned near the top on either side. The vase has an earthy color palette with shades of brown, beige, and a subtle hint of reddish-brown forming a band around its middle. The vase is centrally placed on a flat surface, and both handles extend outward at the top.
    VaseIsadore Goldberg, c. 1939Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. On the Beach, No. 3, by Maurice Prendergast, c. 1915–18
    On the Beach, No. 3Maurice Prendergast, c. 1915–18Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  4. Lady with the Lute, by Henry Wolf, 1909
    Lady with the LuteHenry Wolf, 1909Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum

Section 2, south wall

  1. Fishmarket, by Camille Pissarro, 1902
    FishmarketCamille Pissarro, 1902Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art
  2. The sculpture depicts a male figure standing upright with one hand raised and the other resting on his hip. The subject is wearing a garment that drapes over one shoulder and a feather-patterned skirt, accessorized with a headband. The colors of the sculpture are predominantly earth tones, including browns and a green headband. The material appears to be a type of stone or ceramic with a polished finish. The figure is slightly larger than everyday objects, allowing viewers to appreciate the intricacies of the carving and the details in the drapery and texture. The statue stands on a rectangular base that is consistent with the overall color palette.
    Cigar Store IndianRosamond P. Gray, 1935/1942Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. The image depicts a young person standing upright with distinct facial features including rounded cheeks, a small mouth, and large eyes. They are wearing a brown dress with a cream-colored shawl, a bonnet with dark trim, and a pouch hanging from their left side. The background is plain and cream-colored.
    Quaker DollJacob Gielens, 1935/1942Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. The Creation, by Kálmán Kubinyi, before 1927
    The CreationKálmán Kubinyi, before 1927Courtesy of the Cleveland Museum of Art

Section 2, north wall

  1. From under an elevated train track, we look at a cluster of people hammering and working on the far side of a wooden fence, all against a silvery-blue building that fills most of the background in this horizontal painting. The scene is loosely painted mostly in tones of hazy and saturated blues, so many of the details are indistinct. About a quarter of the way in from the right edge of the composition, a thin iron column holds up the train platform. The column nearly spans the height of the painting, and the track it supports runs across the top edge of the canvas. At the foot of the column, along the bottom edge, are two parallel tracks embedded in an area otherwise painted with short, diagonal strokes in topaz blue, olive green, and straw yellow. Just beyond the tracks, the split-rail wooden fence runs across most of the painting, though there is an opening at the left edge of the canvas. A man sits with his back to us on the railing to our right of center. He wears a dark cap, a lapis-blue shirt, and navy-blue pants. Several men work on or near a mound-shaped form, perhaps a piece of machinery, just beyond the fence, near the center of the painting. One man holds a hammer high overhead while another reaches down or strikes the mound with his feet planted wide. More people work together to our left, and a man to our right stands near a crane. The people and these areas are painted with broad strokes and touches of cobalt blue, charcoal gray, khaki brown, and a few swipes of shell pink and bright white. A puff of white smoke billows up behind the central group, before the land drops precipitously away. The chasm is painted with shimmering tones of aquamarine and cerulean blue. A sky-blue, rectangular building perches at the far edge. A few windows are outlined in royal blue to our left but the rest of the building is loosely painted with long, vertical strokes so no architectural details can be made out. Behind this structure are more city buildings, suggested with strokes of muted rust red, parchment and bright white, and cobalt blue. The ice-blue sky fills the band between the top of the buildings and the train track running overhead. The artist signed his name near the lower left corner, “BELLOWS.”
    Blue MorningGeorge Bellows, 1909Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  2. This is a painting of a decorative wooden chest. The chest has intricate designs, such as painted figures, trees, and animals, creating a narrative scene on its front side, and floral motifs on its sides. The craftsmanship suggests it is an ornate object, potentially used for storage or as an ornamental piece. The painting focuses on the texture and details of the wood and decoration with precision, in a traditional arts and crafts or folk art style, emphasizing fine detail and storytelling through imagery on functional furniture.
    Jewel CabinetCharles Henning, c. 1939Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  3. The image shows a large, intricately designed vase with a bulbous base and flared top at the center. The vase is decorated with painted scenes of a town or village. The color scheme includes shades of blue, green, brown, and touches of yellow and red. Surrounding the vase are two smaller detailed sections showing close-ups of the painted scenes on it. The main vase image is enclosed within a boxed outline on the page.
    Fire Lighter VaseFrancis Law Durand, 1935/1942Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington
  4. Church, Rancho de Taos, by Selden Connor Gile, 1931
    Church, Rancho de TaosSelden Connor Gile, 1931Courtesy of the Smithsonian American Art Museum