​​Smithsonian American Art Museum

In 1829, John Varden wanted a location to share his personal collection of European art near the capitol. The museum would eventually become known as the National Gallery of Art, in response to London’s National Gallery of Art.

In the 1980s the museum was renamed the Smithsonian American Art Museum to cement its focus on American art. As key components of American visual culture, the museum has identified and collected photography, modern folk and self-taught art, African American art, Latino art, and video games. The museum contains over 155 million works of art including 17 artworks of Thomas Hart Benton including Wheat (1967).