The city's first art museum, housed in an extravagant Beaux Arts building across from the White House, contains an encyclopedic assortment of American art, from portraits from the 18th century to modern works of the 20th century. It's not exclusively American, though, having benefited from the eclectic bequests of several wealthy collectors.
The Clark Landing wing contains an extensive display of European paintings, sculptures, tapestries, rugs, and an entire Louis XVI salon belonging to Senator William Andrews Clark, who donated his possessions to the museum in the 1920s. A more recent addition is the photography collection belonging to the noted lensman Gordon Parks.