P.S. Nest Pick: The Phillips Collection, A Washington, DC Museum Worth Revisiting

Come for Renoir. Stay for the conversation between the rooms.

The Phillips is one of those museums I never think of as a place to “do.”

It's a place to be.

Part museum, part former home, it has an intimacy that makes looking at art feel unusually personal. Duncan Phillips founded the museum in 1921, and the collection grew out of his belief that paintings should be experienced in conversation with one another—not simply lined up and admired one at a time. The museum still occupies the Phillips family home, along with later additions.

Why I'm recommending it

Washington has plenty of museums where you can spend an entire day and still have galleries left to conquer.

The Phillips isn't really asking you to conquer anything.

It's a museum for looking closely.

One painting can lead you to another. A room changes the way you see the work in it. And because the galleries are relatively intimate, it's easier to have the kind of conversation that starts with, “I don't know if I like this,” and ends somewhere much more interesting.

Look for

The way paintings talk to one another.

Don't just find the famous Renoir and check it off the list. Look at what has been placed near it. Ask yourself why those works might belong together.

The Phillips frequently rearranges its galleries, so even a familiar visit can feel different.

While you're there

Give yourself time for the Rothko Room—even if you aren't a Rothko person.

You don't have to love it. In fact, that's part of the fun.

Sit for a minute and see what happens when you stop trying to decide whether you like it.

The P.S. Nest question

Which work would you take home—and which one would you absolutely not?

Good to know

The museum is in Dupont Circle and is easy to reach by Metro. Current hours and exhibitions change, and reservations are encouraged.

Go explore → The Phillips Collection

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