{"title":"Phillips Collection; Washington D.C.","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003cimg src=\"https:\/\/homage-art-to-be.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/Phillips-House-exterior.jpg\"\u003eOpened in 1921 in Washington, DC’s historic Dupont Circle, The Phillips Collection holds the distinction of being America’s first museum of modern art. It was founded by collector and philanthropist Duncan Phillips as a living memorial following a period of profound family tragedy. Housed originally within the Phillips family home, the museum was conceived from the outset as an “intimate museum combined with an experiment station,” a place where Phillips could share the restorative power of art with the nation.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Memorial Born from Tragedy\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuncan Phillips’s decision to found a museum was a direct response to devastating personal loss. In 1917, his father, Major Duncan Clinch Phillips, died suddenly from a heart condition, and just a year later, his beloved older brother, James, succumbed to the 1918 flu epidemic. “Sorrow all but overwhelmed me,” Phillips later wrote. “Then I turned to my love of painting for the will to live.” To cope with his grief, he and his mother founded the Phillips Memorial Art Gallery in late 1918. They opened it to the public in the fall of 1921, displaying their growing collection in a specially designed gallery added to their home.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eAn Intimate Museum, A Bold Vision\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs a collector, Duncan Phillips was noted for his pioneering vision. He deviated from the standard museum practice of displaying works based on shared nationality, instead interpreting modernism as a dialogue between the art of the past and the present. He championed the work of his contemporaries at a time when non-academic art was not widely accepted. This philosophy of taking risks allowed Phillips to be the first to collect and exhibit artists who were not yet well known, including Milton Avery, Pierre Bonnard, Georges Braque, Jacob Lawrence, Grandma Moses, Georgia O’Keeffe, and Rufino Tamayo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA Family Legacy of Leadership\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe museum was a family endeavor for decades. In 1921, Duncan married the painter Marjorie Acker, who became his partner in developing the collection and served as Associate Director, offering him crucial insight into the artist’s process. Upon Duncan’s death in 1966, Marjorie became the museum’s director, a position she held for six years. She was succeeded in 1972 by their son, Laughlin (Loc) Phillips, who served as Director until 1992. Under Laughlin’s leadership, the museum was transformed from a personal creation into a professionalized institution with a formal collection database, a membership program, and a significantly expanded footprint.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eGrowth and Professionalization\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFollowing the Phillips family’s direct leadership, the museum continued to evolve. Director Jay Gates (1998-2008) oversaw a major renovation that included the addition of the Sant Building and the 2006 establishment of the Center for the Study of Modern Art, fulfilling a long-held vision for a scholarly hub. Under Dorothy Kosinski (2008-2022), the institution focused on diversifying its collection, exhibitions, and staff, notably hiring a full-time Chief Diversity Officer and opening a satellite campus. The museum is currently led by Director Jonathan P. Binstock, who assumed the role in 2023.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Evolution of the Campus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Phillips Collection’s physical space has grown around its original 1897 Georgian Revival house. After the family moved out in 1930, the entire home was converted into a museum. The first major expansion was the Goh Annex, built in 1960 and enlarged in 1989 to include a conservation studio and more gallery space. The most significant transformation occurred between 2002 and 2006 with the addition of the Sant Building, which incorporated an adjacent historic apartment building. This project doubled the museum’s size, adding large, light-filled galleries for contemporary art, a new Rothko Room, an auditorium, and a library and archives, seamlessly integrating the new spaces with the historic structures.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"luncheon-of-the-boating-party-le-dejeuner-des-canotiers","title":"Luncheon of the Boating Party (Le Déjeuner des Canotiers)","description":"\u003cp data-end=\"692\" data-start=\"203\"\u003e\u003cstrong data-end=\"236\" data-start=\"203\"\u003eLuncheon of the Boating Party\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis an iconic masterpiece painted by French Impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir between 1880 and 1881. Measuring 1.3 × 1.73 meters, this large-scale canvas beautifully captures the vibrant social life of the Belle Époque. Set on the terrace of the Maison Fournaise restaurant along the Seine River near Paris, the painting presents a lively group of men and women gathered for an alfresco luncheon, immersed in conversation, laughter, and relaxed intimacy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 data-end=\"2834\" data-start=\"2630\"\u003e\u003ca rel=\"noopener\" title=\"luncheon-of-the-boating-party\" href=\"https:\/\/www.homage-art-to-be.com\/blogs\/news\/luncheon-of-the-boating-party\" target=\"_blank\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline; color: rgb(43, 0, 255);\"\u003eRead more about this work\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e","brand":"Pierre-Auguste Renoir","offers":[{"title":"Original: 1.30 m x 1.73 m","offer_id":53223451066686,"sku":null,"price":1796.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Small: 52.1 cm × 69.2 cm","offer_id":53223451099454,"sku":null,"price":476.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Medium: 78.1 cm × 103.8 cm","offer_id":53223451132222,"sku":null,"price":648.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Large: 104.2 cm × 138.4 cm","offer_id":53223451164990,"sku":null,"price":1152.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9138\/6686\/files\/LUNCHEON-OF-THE-BOATING-PARTY-LE-DEJEUNER-DES-CANOTIERS.jpg?v=1774487926"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.homageart2b.com\/collections\/phillips-collection-washington-d-c.oembed","provider":"Homage Art To Be","version":"1.0","type":"link"}