Housed in a National Historic Landmark building which it shares with the American Art Museum, the National Portrait Gallery displays the connection between American history, biography and art, covering more than 225 years of history.
The collection is presented in a series of thematic galleries, including "America's Presidents," “America Origins, 1600-1900,” and “20th Century Americans,” and "The Struggle For Justice."
"Champions" and "Bravo!" showcase sports figures, and composers and performers from the beginning of the 20th century to the present.
”Jo Davidson: Biographer in Bronze” is a collection of 14 portraits in bronze and terra-cotta made by American sculptor Jo Davidson between 1908 and 1946.
Please check the museum website for updated exhibition information. Scheduling may have been modified as a result of the temporary museum closure.
Exhibitions & Dates
Block by Block: Naming Washington
Jul 30 2021 - Jan 7 2024
16 portraits explore people for whom Washington, D.C.’s streets were named
The Outwin 2022: American Portraiture Today
Apr 30 2022 - Feb 26 2023
42 finalists selected for the sixth triennial Outwin Boochever Portrait Competition
Recent Acquisitions: Gifts from the Corcoran Gallery of Art
Oct 9 2020 - Oct 23 2022
A selection of portraits from the gift of 80 works
Watergate: Portraiture and Intrigue
Mar 25 2022 - Sep 5 2022
Portraiture and visual biography bring visitors face-to-face with Watergate’s key players.
Out of Many: Portraits from 1600 to 1900
Jul 1 2022 -
180+ objects depict notable individuals who helped shape the nation’s early development
Family Ties: Daguerreotype Portraits
Jul 1 2022 - Jun 11 2023
Familial relationships documented by the camera during the daguerreian era
Powerful Partnerships: Civil War-Era Couples
Jul 1 2022 - May 18 2025
Five couples who shaped the nation during tumultuous times
I Dream a World: Selections from Brian Lanker's Portraits of Remarkable Black Women
Jul 8 2022 - Sep 10 2023
25+ photographs of remarkable Black women
Kinship
Oct 28 2022 - Jan 7 2024
40+ artworks by eight contemporary artists, exploring the notion of “kinship”
Portrait of a Nation: 2022 Honorees
Nov 10 2022 - Oct 22 2023