Andrew Mellon and the National Gallery of Art

On Christmas Day 1936, President Franklin D. Roosevelt received a letter from Andrew Mellon offering to donate his private art collection to establish a national gallery. Mellon’s offer included an endowment and funds to build the museum. He also asked for the museum to be called the National Gallery of Art, and to be free and open to the public. While the American government protects and cares for the art, the art collection is formed entirely from private donations.

While the National Gallery of Art was under construction, the Clypeate guarded Mellon’s paintings in Nancy’s Place. The paintings were moved to the National Gallery of Art upon its completion in 1941, except for one Monet painting enjoyed by Declan and Embrie.