The Smithsonian Institution’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden had its beginnings in 1966 when Latvian-born Joseph H. Hirshhorn donated his huge collection of contemporary and modern art. The museum officially opened 1974, and was then the recipient of additional works bequeathed by Hirshhorn in 1981 at his death.
Hirshhorn was a prodigious collector and a wealthy man, and developed a taste for modern art as well as a personal relationship with many of the artistic luminaries of his day, among them Willem de Kooning, Pablo Picasso, Arshile Gorky, Stuart Davis, Edward Hopper, Milton Avery, Raphael Soyer, Larry Rivers, and Andy Warhol. His collection grew to include 19th and 20th century sculpture, and he acquired major works by masters such as Auguste Rodin and Constantin Brancusi, as well as contemporaries including Alexander Calder, Henry Moore, and Alberto Giacometti.
As such, the museum is a treasure trove of contemporary art of a wide range and has since expanded its collections with international modern and contemporary art in all media.
Attraction Information
- Hours:
- Museum: Monday through Sunday: 10am to 5:30pm
- Sculpture Garden: Monday through Sunday: 7:30am to dusk
- Admission:
- Free
- Metro Stop:
- Blueline, Orangeline, Yellowline or Greenline to the L’Enfant Plaza Station
- Contact:
- Location: Independence Avenue at Seventh Street SW, Washington DC
- Phone: 202-633-1000
- Website: www.hirshhorn.si.edu
