One of the most delightful things to do around the holidays is to visit an art museum and look at a few of the paintings that tell the stories we commemorate on these days. Over the past 20 years, I’ve enjoyed taking such tours. In my experience, by far the most popular and satisfying would be “The Christmas Story in Art” tour that the National Gallery of Art here in Washington offers every December.

With a world-class collection that includes Italian Renaissance masterpieces by Duccio, Fra Angelico, Fra Filippo Lippi, Botticelli, Carpaccio, Piero di Cosmo, and Northern Renaissance gems by Jan Van Eyck, Petrus Christus, and Gerard David, the Gallery is the place to be, if you have the inclination.