Beyond this unassuming facade lies a treasure trove of art and architectural wonder the Kreeger Museum. This museum is not just a building. It’s a testament to the love of art and the vision of two extraordinary people.
The Kreeger Museum began with David and Carmen Kreeger. They started collecting modern art in 1959. For fifteen years, they acquired most of the museum’s holdings. Their approach was personal. They only bought what they loved.
Their collection reflects their shared spirit. Nineteeth and twentieth-century paintings dominate the collection. You’ll find works by Monet, Picasso and Braque. Stella and Frankenthaler are also represented. The Kreeger Museum also features Washington artists. William Christenberry and Gene Davis are among them. The museum integrates African and Asian art throughout its gallery spaces.
But there’s more to the Kreeger Museum than just its art. The building itself is a masterpiece. Philip Johnson and Richard Foster designed it in 1963. The travertine-clad structure sits on five acres. Sculpture gardens and terraces surround it. Johnson proposed a modern take on a Roman villa. It features sculpture terraces and reflecting pools. Travertine is young limestone. The Romans often used it. Neoclassical buildings also feature it.
The Kreeger residence has a 435-foot-long wall. It protects the building from the main road. The wall is made of rough-hewn travertine. Johnson imagined asymmetrically arranged cubes. These cubes have groin vaults and travertine walls. Glass walls offer views of the wooded site. The building covers 24,000 square feet. It uses a modular system of 22 x 22 x 22-foot cubes.
The Great Hall is the building’s largest open space. It rises to 25 feet. Three vaulted domes top it. These domes create natural amplification. The acoustics are excellent for chamber and piano music.
The Kreeger Museum opened to the public on June 1 1994. Richard Foster perfectly answered the program set forth by the Kreegers. He believed its monumentality is as correct and current today as it was when built. The museum continues to share art architecture and music with the public.
The Kreeger collection mainly comprises works from the 1850s to the present. The Impressionists and Post-Impressionists are well represented. You can find nine Claude Monet paintings. There are also works by Renoir Sisley Cézanne Degas and Pissarro. Nine paintings trace Pablo Picasso’s career. Other 20th-century European artists include Munch Beckmann and Chagall. American artists include Calder Gorky and Stella.
Don’t miss the Sculpture Garden. It expands the outdoor exhibition space. The Sculpture Terrace features works by Arp Maillol and Moore. The Reflecting Pool Terrace displays John L. Dreyfuss’s Inventions.
The Kreeger Museum isn’t just a place to view art. It’s a place to experience it. It is a place to connect with the vision of David and Carmen Kreeger. Their love for art lives on in this unique and inspiring space.