Art

The National Museum of American History is not an art museum. But works of art fill its collections and testify to the vital place of art in everyday American life. The ceramics collections hold hundreds of examples of American and European art glass and pottery. Fashion sketches, illustrations, and prints are part of the costume collections. Donations from ethnic and cultural communities include many homemade religious ornaments, paintings, and figures. The Harry T Peters "America on Stone" collection alone comprises some 1,700 color prints of scenes from the 1800s. The National Quilt Collection is art on fabric. And the tools of artists and artisans are part of the Museum's collections, too, in the form of printing plates, woodblock tools, photographic equipment, and potters' stamps, kilns, and wheels.


-
Peasants in conversation
- Description
- Etching, weak or late impression of 6th state, trimmed to ruled border. Alternate titles "Grotesques" or "Three Grotesque Figures." See Godefroy 28.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1647
- maker
- Ostade, Adriaen van
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.24
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.24
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Ringball Player
- Description
- Signed in the plate lower left: "Rembrandt f. 1654." See NHD 282, II; Bartsch 125, Hind 272, Biorklund-Barnard 54-A. Once known as The Game of Kolef or Golf; now titled The Ringball Player/Het Klosbaantje.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1654
- maker
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.45
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.45
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Three Soldiers and Woman
- Description
- Rembrandt's signature is lighly etched on plate; probably transferred from another plate or print as this image does not appear in the Rembrandt catalogues, even as a rejected work.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- n.d.
- artist attribution
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.46
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.46
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Hog Killers
- Description
- Circular print. 8th state, late impression, trimmed to edge of image; no plate mark. Night scene with figures gathered around hog which is being slaughtered. See Godefroy 41.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1652
- original artist
- Ostade, Adriaen van
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.29
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.29
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Self-Portrait in a Flat Cap with a shawl about his shoulders
- Description
- Trimmed inside plate mark. "Rembrandt " lightly etched at upper left. Ref. NHD 210, state I?; Hind 157, Bartsch 26, Biorklund-Barnard 38-1.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.39
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.39
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Beggar seated on a bank (copy)
- Description
- Etching, 18th-century copy in same direction by James Bretherton. NHD 50, copy f; Hind 11; Bartsch 174.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1630
- original artist
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- etcher
- Bretherton, James
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.48
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.48
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Return of the Prodigal Son
- Description
- Reversed copy after Rembrandt,attributed to [Salomon] Savery. Dated 1636; 6 is reversed. See NHD 159, copy a, state III; Hind 147; Biorklund-Barnard 36-D.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1636
- original artist
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.47
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.47
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Ceres and Phytalus
- Description
- Phytalus, kneeling at right, receives the fig tree from the goddess Ceres, standing at left, as a reward for his hospitality. Reversed copy after Rosa's etching with "inv." added and numeral "66" engraved in plate at lower right. Probably etched during the 17th century by Johann Jakob von Sandrart as he is credited with a series of prints after Rosa made in reverse with numbers added.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 17th century
- original artist
- Rosa, Salvator
- graphic artist
- Sandrart, Johann Jakob von
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.19
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.19
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Baptism of the Eunuch
- Description
- Top margin trimmed; ruled ink border on all sides. Signed in plate lower right: "Rembrandt f. 1641" see NHD 186, III; Bartsch 98, Hind 182, Biorklund-Barnard 41-E. "B 98" on verso in pencil in what looks like George P. Marsh's hand.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1641
- maker
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.44
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.44
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Female portrait
- Description
- Tiny etching, copy after the 5th state with bust continued to the border. Possibly from the 19th-c edition of the plates published by the widow Jean. Signed in the plate with the artist's monogram "A O" at upper left. Trimmed to ruled border. See Godefroy 2.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1650
- maker
- Ostade, Adriaen van
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.32
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.32
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Skaters
- Description
- 3rd state, with credits engraved below image. Busy interior scene with many objects depicted. Ice skates in the foreground suggest alternate title, Skaters.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1650
- original artist
- Ostade, Adriaen van
- graphic artist
- Visscher, Cornelis
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.34
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.34
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Rembrandt etching a plate
- Description
- Trimmed inside plate mark. Print attributed to Pierre Francois Basan after a plate once attributed to Rembrandt. Text lightly etched in lower margin: "Rembrandt gravant une planche/oeuvre de Mr Marriette." [Parisian collector/dealer P. J. Mariette] Pencil note "a portrait of himself" inside image above margin may be in Geo. P. Marsh's hand.See NHD 304, copy a; Hind 300 A; Biorklund-Barnard reject 81.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1645
- original artist
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- publisher
- Basan
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.42
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.42
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Goats
- Description
- Signed in plate at lower left: "Bergihem." Late impression or copy. Pencil inscription on verso:"G.R. Bonfield's collection," suggesting that George P. Marsh may have acquired this print from the Philadelphia artist George R. Bonfield.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 17th century
- referenced
- Bonfield, George Robert
- graphic artist
- Berchem, Nicolaes
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.21
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.21
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Bust of a laughing peasant
- Description
- Tiny etching, copy after the 4th state. Possibly from the 19th-c edition of the plates published by the widow Jean. Signed in plate with artist's monogram AvO inside image at right. Trimmed to ruled border. See Godefroy 1.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1650
- maker
- Ostade, Adriaen van
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.33
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.33
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Beggar man and beggar woman conversing
- Description
- Trimmed inside plate mark. Signed in plate "RHL 1630." Late impression on wove paper. Ref. NHD 45, state III (?); Hind 7, Bartsch 164, Biorklund-Barnard 30-A.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1630
- maker
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.40
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.40
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Man leaning on his stick
- Description
- Etching, 5th state. Arched top, trimmed to etched border. Artist's monogram AvO faintly etched inside image at lower right. Alternate title: Peasant with crooked back. See Godefroy 20.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- maker
- Ostade, Adriaen van
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.26
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.26
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Peasant with his hands behind his back
- Description
- Trimmed inside plate mark. Reversed copy by unknown artist after Rembrandt. Ref. NHD23, copy c; Hind 69, Bartsch 135, Biorklund-Barnard 31-M.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- n.d.
- original artist
- Rembrandt van Rijn
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.38
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.38
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Le cheval hennissant/the neighing horse
- Description
- One of the suite of five horse subjects Potter etched in 1652.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 1652
- maker
- Potter, Paulus
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.15
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.15
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
Peasant with his hand inside his cloak
- Description
- Etching, 6th state (or possibly from Picart edition), trimmed.. Artist's monogram AvO faintly etched inside image at lower left. See Godefroy 22.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- ca 1647
- maker
- Ostade, Adriaen van
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.27
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.27
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History
-
The Miser
- Description
- Etching, trimmed, lacking the credit line that appears on other impressions: "Aus der Sammlung des Canonicus Speth." [from the collection of Canon Speth] which suggests that van Ostade's painting was once owned by Speth.
- Location
- Currently not on view
- date made
- 18th century
- original artist
- Ostade, Adriaen van
- ID Number
- 1978.0534.31
- accession number
- 1978.0534
- catalog number
- 1978.0534.31
- Data Source
- National Museum of American History