History and Architecture
The gallery was founded by Charles Lang Freer (1854–1919). In 1908, Charles Moore, a former United States Senate aide, moved from Washington, D.C., to Detroit. Moore became friends with Freer, who was director of the Michigan Car Company (which manufactured railroad cars). Moore persuaded Freer to permanently exhibit his 8,000-piece collection of Oriental art in Washington, D.C. Freer did so, and paid for a building to house it as well. The Freer Gallery of Art opened in 1923. Freer gave his collection to the United States. The Italian-Renaissance-style gallery, constructed in granite and marble, was inspired by Freer's visits to palazzos in Italy and designed by the American architect Charles A. Platt. The gallery and its central courtyard are considered some of the most peaceful and serene spaces in Washington, D.C.
The gallery opened to the public in 1923 as the first Smithsonian museum dedicated to the fine arts. The Freer was also the first Smithsonian museum created from a private collector's bequest. Freer's bequest to the Smithsonian came with the proviso that he would execute full curatorial control over the collection until his death. The Smithsonian initially hesitated at the requirements but the intercession of President Theodore Roosevelt allowed for the project to proceed. The Freer Gallery possesses an autographed letter from Roosevelt inviting Freer to visit him at the White House, reflecting the personal interest Roosevelt showed in the development of the museum. Through the years, the collections have grown through gifts and purchases to nearly triple the size of Freer's bequest.
The Freer is connected by an underground exhibition space to the neighboring Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. Although their collections are stored and exhibited separately, the two museums share a director, administration, and staff.
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