Ever wonder what America’s first museum of modern art looks like? That’s The Phillips Collection right here in D.C. It started as an experiment station according to its founder Duncan Phillips.
The Phillips Collection began in 1921. Duncan Phillips and his wife Marjorie Acker Phillips founded it. It’s located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. Phillips’ grandfather was James H. Laughlin. He co-founded the Jones and Laughlin Steel Company.
Initially, it was known as the Phillips Memorial Gallery. This gallery was a tribute to Phillips’ father and brother. Their untimely deaths deeply affected him. He found solace in art. The Phillips Collection became his way of sharing that healing.
Phillips was an art critic. He expanded the family’s small collection. A special room in their home became the first gallery. By 1930 the collection grew significantly. The Phillips family moved. Their entire 21st Street residence became the art museum.
Duncan Phillips married painter Marjorie Acker in 1921. She helped him develop the collection. They focused on modern art and its origins. Phillips believed artists influenced each other across time. He saw modernism as a continuation not a break from the past. He collected masters like El Greco. Phillips called him the first impassioned expressionist. He also admired Chardin. Phillips considered him the first modern painter.
The Phillips Collection has nearly 3000 works. These include American and European impressionist and modern artists. The museum has an intimate atmosphere. It is housed in Phillips’ 1897 Georgian Revival home. Two additions match the scale of the original home.
The museum is known for impressionist and modern paintings. You’ll find works by Gustave Courbet and Pierre Bonnard. There are paintings by Georges Braque and Paul Cézanne. Also, the museum features art by Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso. In 1923 Phillips bought Renoir’s Luncheon of the Boating Party. It is the museum’s best-known work.
From the 1920s to the 1960s Phillips arranged galleries non-chronologically. He wanted to show the relationships between artistic expressions. He created visual connections between past and present. He also linked classical form and romantic expression. Phillips gave equal focus to American and European artists.
The Phillips Collection is known for its groups of works by favored artists. Bonnard’s use of color overwhelmed Phillips. He acquired 17 paintings by Bonnard. Cubist pioneer Braque has 13 paintings here. These include The Round Table. The collection also has works by Klee and Rothko.
The Rothko Room is special. It was the first public space dedicated solely to Rothko’s work. Phillips designed it with Rothko’s preferences in mind. The room is small and intimate. It is saturated with color.
Phillips supported unrecognized artists. He bought works by John Marin and Georgia O’Keeffe. He also supported Arthur Dove. Phillips provided them the means to continue painting. He formed close bonds with Dove and Marin. The museum served as a haven for artists.
The Phillips Collection completed a major building project in 2006. It added 30000 square feet. Most of it is located below ground. This preserves the museum’s intimate scale. The Sant Building includes expanded galleries. It has a new auditorium and courtyard.
The University of Maryland Center for Art and Knowledge is at The Phillips Collection. It fosters discussion and research on modern art. The Phillips Collection offers many services. These include education programs and live performances. There are also virtual tours available.
So, step inside The Phillips Collection. Experience the vision of Duncan Phillips. Discover a world where art inspires and connects.