The National Gallery of Art acquires its first work by Carrie Mae Weems

WASHINGTON, DC - The National Gallery of Art acquired its first work by Carrie Mae Weems.

“The opportunity to acquire these significant works speaks volumes about the depth and breadth of the Gallery’s collection”, said Earl A. Powell III, director, National Gallery of Art.

“Yet again our trustees have demonstrated tremendous wisdom and foresight in both strengthening and diversifying our permanent collection”.

May Flowers (2002) (picture above) - in this photograph, Carrie Mae Weems (b. 1953) trains her lens on three young African American girls posed languidly in the grass. The result is a photograph that not only recalls 19th-century portraits of childhood and the rituals of spring, but also is a compelling statement about race and class in American society.

Additionally, the Gallery acquired Splinter Beach (1916), a lithograph by George Bellows.

The Gallery received a generous bequest from Mercedes Eichholz of five paintings, 18 drawings, and six prints by 25 artists, including George Rouault, Pierre Soulages, Juan Gris, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, and Yves Tanguy.

The Ratjen Foundation offered a drawing by Ludwig Emil Grimm (1790–1863), the younger brother of the Brothers Grimm, and conservator Ingrid Rose’s gift of Hortus Berolinensis is a splendid addition to the Gallery’s small collection of illustrated German 19th-century botanical books.