Among the many industrial dynasties that thrive in the United States, the Vanderbilts are one of the oldest and most powerful. The patriarch of the dynasty, Cornelius Vanderbilt, was born in 1794. He was first employed in the construction of steamships and railroads. He also achieved success at the stock exchange, making him the richest man in the country of his time.

His daughter, Gertrude, was very passionate about art. She married Harry Pane Whitney, who was a child belonging to a rich entrepreneurial family. Gertrude realized her penchant for fine arts during a trip to Europe. She began collecting artworks, and 11 years before her death she donated all to the museum, which was to be named after her.

Despite the small budget of the museum, the collection of artworks never suffered. The number of patrons was on a steady rise. The museum has one of the largest collections of contemporary American art, including paintings, sculptures, art objects and photographs. The artworks of more than 2000 artists are displayed. The museum is situated in Madison Avenue, which is close to Central Park.

The architect of the structure is the famous Marcel Breuer. The extension of the museum was built under the supervision of the famous Renzo Piano.

The surge in contemporary American art is a recent phenomenon. It gained prominence only in the latter half of the 20th century. The avant-garde artists, such as Marc Chagall and Marcel Breuer, led to the development of modern art. The Second World War, too, saw a surge in contemporary American art.

Expressionism was the first movement to take the art world by storm. Its primary exponents were Jackson Pollock and Willem de Kooning. The masters of Pop Art soon followed. Roy Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, Claes Oldenburg, and Andy Warhol were some of the artists. In the last three to five decades, every movement of art has originated in North America. This has made New York City the art capital of the world, edging past even Paris.

The popularity of Expressionism and Pop Art made the precursors of these movements famous, especially outside the United States.

Georgia O’Keefe’s flower paintings and landscapes were inspired by Native American and Asian art. The artwork of Edward Hopper was inspired by newspaper illustrations. The artwork of both these artists highlights the loneliness of city life.

Some of the other famous artists include Arshile Gorky, Franz Kline, Mark Rothko, Frank Stella, and Barnett Newman. Some of these artists were immigrants. America has the ability to welcome immigrants and make them Americans in attitude.

An artist of particular interest is Alexander Calder. This resident of Pennsylvania was an engineer before he embarked on a career in art. He is renowned for his paintings, sculptures, and graphic artworks. He spent seven years in Paris, where he met Joan Miró, Hans Arp, and Piet Mondrian. These artists inculcated the surrealist tendency in Calder.

Calder is famous for Brass Family, which is a wire sculpture that consists of a group of seven artists. Also popular among visitors is Calder’s Circus, a circus ring comprising multi-colored materials and figures.