10 must-see works at the National Gallery of Art
Quick answer
The National Gallery of Art's must-sees are Leonardo's Ginevra de' Benci, Vermeer's Woman Holding a Balance, Raphael's Alba Madonna, self-portraits by Rembrandt and Van Gogh, Monet's Japanese Footbridge, Copley's Watson and the Shark and, in the East Building, Rothko and Pollock.
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The key works
Locations by building and floor; check the day's map for the exact gallery.
- 1
West Building · Main Floor
Ginevra de' Benci — Leonardo da Vinci (c. 1474–1478)
The only Leonardo in the Americas and one of his earliest portraits.
- 2
West Building · Main Floor
The Alba Madonna — Raphael (c. 1510)
A perfect High Renaissance tondo, bought from the Hermitage in 1931.
- 3
West Building · Main Floor
Woman Holding a Balance — Johannes Vermeer (c. 1664)
A woman weighs nothing in front of a Last Judgement: a meditation on life and judgement.
- 4
West Building · Main Floor
Self-Portrait — Rembrandt (1659)
The ageing, bankrupt painter without embellishment: one of the most honest portraits ever made.
- 5
West Building · Main Floor
The Adoration of the Magi — Fra Angelico and Filippo Lippi (c. 1440–1460)
A tondo crowded with figures and animals, painted by two masters over many years.
- 6
West Building · Main Floor
Watson and the Shark — John Singleton Copley (1778)
A sea drama based on a real attack in Havana harbour; a landmark of American painting.
- 7
West Building · French painting
The Japanese Footbridge — Claude Monet (1899)
The Giverny water-lily pond in green and light.
- 8
West Building · French painting
Self-Portrait — Vincent van Gogh (1889)
Painted at the Saint-Rémy asylum, with a swirling brushstroke background.
- 9
East Building
Mark Rothko
Large colour fields meant to envelop the viewer; the gallery holds one of the largest Rothko collections.
- 10
East Building
Number 1, 1950 (Lavender Mist) — Jackson Pollock
Drip painting at its peak: a web of lines with no centre or hierarchy.
How to see them in one visit
Eight of the ten are on the West Building Main Floor: go clockwise from the Rotunda, then cross to the East Building. Our 2-hour route follows that order.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most famous work at the National Gallery of Art?
Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci, the only Leonardo painting on view in the Americas.
Does the National Gallery of Art have Vermeers?
Yes, several, including Woman Holding a Balance on the West Building Main Floor.
Where is the modern art?
In I. M. Pei's East Building, linked to the West Building by an underground concourse.
Are there outdoor sculptures?
Yes, in the free Sculpture Garden, with works by Louise Bourgeois, Roy Lichtenstein and others.