American Art Collaborative

Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919) manufactured railroad cars in Detroit until he retired in 1900. He established the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., to house his collection of Asian art, as well as paintings and decorative arts created by James McNeill Whistler. The inscription “For distinguished contributions to the knowledge and understanding of oriental civilizations as reflected in their arts” on Paul Manship’s medal conveys Freer’s hopes for his gift to the nation