This gallery presents a selection of sculptures from the Robert H. Smith Collection, given to the National Gallery in 2022. The full collection of 80 works will be displayed in coming years in the Ground Floor galleries.
Small, highly detailed, and made to decorate lavish homes, the sculptures in this gallery embody the characteristics of Renaissance bronze statuettes. Designed to be admired from all angles, some were small enough to be turned in the hand or passed among friends gathered together. Collectors chose subjects for entertainment and education, looking particularly to stories from ancient Greece and Rome.
Robert H. Smith (1928–2009), a local real estate developer and philanthropist, assembled one of the world’s finest collections of Renaissance statuettes. He was aided in his acquisitions by the insights of his wife, Clarice Smith (1933–2021), an artist and patron of the arts. The transformative gift of the Robert H. Smith Collection to the nation reflects a lifetime of philanthropy supporting the arts, history, and education.
