A Love of Europe: Highlights from the William A. Clark Collection

In 1926 Senator William A. Clark of Montana bequeathed his personal collection of over 800 works of art to the Corcoran Gallery of Art. The life of Senator Clark was surprisingly parallel with that of David Davies, who built the fortune left to Gwendoline and Margaret Davies. They lived through the same tumultuous period; both were self-made men; both were industrialists with interests in mining; both became politicians. And ultimately, the wealth of both went to the enrichment of major galleries of art.

Ranging from ancient Antiquities to Impressionist paintings, Senator Clark’s collection today forms the core of the Corcoran’s holdings of European art. Timed to coincide with Turner to Cezanne: Masterpieces from the Davies Collection, National Museum Wales, A Love of Europe displays Clark’s particular enthusiasm for 19th-century French painting. The exhibition will include works by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot, Jean-François Millet, and Edgar Degas.