It seems to me that art makes one feel the essence of something, turning the ordinary, everyday object or scene into a universal one.
—Paul Mellon
A thematic archival display explores Paul Mellon’s unequaled influence on the National Gallery of Art. Included are rarely seen documents, photographs, memorabilia, and publications that illuminate Paul Mellon’s life and art collecting, his leadership and ideas, and his generosity. Of particular interest are materials relating to the East Building, which was constructed entirely with funds provided by Paul Mellon, his sister Ailsa Mellon Bruce, and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which he founded.
The centenary of the birth of Paul Mellon (1907–1999), philanthropist, art collector, founding benefactor, and trustee of the National Gallery of Art, is celebrated throughout 2007 with exhibitions, gallery talks, lectures, concerts, and a new documentary.
Paul Mellon’s visionary leadership of the National Gallery of Art spanned more than six decades, from 1938, when he was first elected to the Board of Trustees, to his death in 1999. During that time he watched over and nurtured the museum’s growth from a single grand building to a mature institution with two monumental structures, a sculpture garden, and a world-class collection. More than 1,000 works of art given by Paul Mellon and his wife Bunny form an extraordinary legacy. In addition, he generously contributed funds for acquisitions, education, archives, and the Gallery’s Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts.
When Gallery founder Andrew W. Mellon died in 1937, only months after the Gallery had been approved by Congress, it was left to his thirty-year-old son Paul to see the museum to completion. In 1941, Paul Mellon presented the building and his father’s collection of art to President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who accepted it on behalf of the American people. From that time until his death, Paul Mellon was the museum’s greatest benefactor, helping to shape the institution and inspire the gifts and talents of others.
