French Paintings from the Collections of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon and Mrs. Mellon Bruce

March 18-May 1, 1966

Overview: 248 19th- and 20th-century French paintings, watercolors, and drawings from the private collections of the son and daughter of the Gallery's founder, Andrew W. Mellon, celebrated the 25th anniversary of the National Gallery. 30 artists were generously represented, with 9 works by Edouard Manet, 14 by Georges Seurat, 32 by Eugene Boudin, 15 by Camille Pissarro, 24 by Edgar Degas, 6 by Paul Cézanne, 12 by Claude Monet, 8 by Berthe Morisot, 14 by Auguste Renoir, 4 by Mary Cassatt, 6 by Paul Gauguin, 9 by Vincent van Gogh, 7 by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, 16 by Pierre Bonnard, 24 by Edouard Vuillard, and 5 by Pablo Picasso. To save wall space, sloping cases and upright vitrines were placed in the center of the rooms for drawings, illustrated books, and very small paintings.

The private opening took place on the evening of March 17 to mark the anniversary of the opening of the National Gallery. Throughout the Gallery, principal acquisitions since 1961 were indicated by a red dot placed on the frames. On June 27, 68 of the Paul Mellon pictures were returned to public view in galleries 69, 70, 71, and 72.

Attendance: About 500,000 (42 days tallied)

Location: Main Floor, Galleries 59 through 68

Catalogue: French Paintings from the Collections of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon and Mrs. Mellon Bruce, Twenty-fifth Anniversary Exhibition 1941-1966, by John Rewald. Washington, DC: National Gallery of Art, 1966; 2d revised edition, May 1966.

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