W A S H I N G T O N   D . C .   -   D A Y   # 1

Monday, October 25, 2004

I pass by the James A. Garfield Monument. Around the monument's base you'll find three allegorical figures who represent Garfield in three separate phases of his life; the student, the warrior, and the statesman. James A. Garfield only served 4 months as President, having been assassinated in 1881 by a disgruntled office-seeker.

Making my way westward now on the northern side of the National Mall, I quickly run into the East Building of the National Gallery of Art. Displaying mostly 20th century art, the futuristic East Building offers mammoth display spaces that are perfect for supporting large touring exhibitions. Opened in 1978, the gallery is triangular in shape and supposedly possesses the sharpest corner of any building ever constructed.

Just across the way, on the other side of 4th Street, I see the eastern reaches of the National Gallery of Art's West Building. Possessing artwork spanning seven centuries, the West Building is considered the flagship museum of Washington, D.C. Its classical architecture aesthetically distances itself from the modern East Building, so much so, visitors unfamiliar with the museums may be led to believe the two buildings are completely unrelated. Not true, they actually connect together via an underground concourse.