Introducing the Power
of Art to Your Children
The Top 20 Works of Art to Experience in DC
O
WRITTEN BY
Rip Farris
One of the most visually stunning urban spaces today can be found in the heart of
Washington, DC. The Mall, designed by the French-American architect and engineer
Pierre Charles L’Enfant, presents an urban design that rivals old European capital
cities. In 1791, President George Washington appointed L’Enfant to design the
10-mile federal territory that became the nation’s capital. Amid the north–south and
east–west grid sequence of streets, he designed grand avenues along with circles
and plazas to celebrate the open space. The centerpiece of the plan envisioned one
“exquisite grand avenue” that stretches between the Capitol building and the equestrian statue of George Washington south of the White House (where the Washington
Monument now stands). Here we find the museums to begin our quest.
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