The National Museum of Art of Romania (Muzeul Național de Artă al României) is Romania’s flagship art gallery. It’s the home of two excellent permanent galleries, the National Gallery and the European Art Gallery, in addition to temporary exhibitions. Appreciate its home in a magnificent palace built in the early 1800s by Prince Dinicu Golescu. Originally constructed as a royal residence, it became a museum in 1950.
The National Gallery takes you on a journey through the history of Romanian art from medieval times to the modern era. Find displays of ancient embroidery, frescoes, icons, metalwork and woodcarvings in the medieval gallery. Learn about Wallachian masonry from the 14th to 18th centuries. See paintings and sculptures by contemporary national artists such as Constantin Brâncuși, Nicolae Grigorescu and Theodor Aman.
In the European Art Gallery, discover rooms decorated with works by great European masters. King Carol I assembled the bulk of the collection during the late 19th century. Exhibits are arranged by nationality, including Dutch, French, Flemish and Italian.
Highlights of the European collection are pieces by Claude Monet, El Greco, Peter Paul Rubens and Rembrandt. Admire internationally famed paintings such as Tintoretto’s The Annunciation, Anthony van Dyck’s Jesus and the Penitent Sinners and Francesco Raibolini’s Virgin and Child.
Ask about temporary exhibitions, which draw from the museum’s wealth of decorative arts, drawings, prints and Oriental art. The drawing and print collection holds over thousands of objects while the Oriental collection focuses on Chinese, Japanese and Islamic regions.
Overlooking Revolution Square, the museum is easy to reach via public buses, the metro and a hop-on, hop-off tourist bus. Walk a short distance from Cișmigiu Garden and the Romanian Athenaeum.
The National Museum of Art of Romania is open from Wednesday to Sunday, except for select public holidays. Admission fees apply for both the National Gallery and the European Art Gallery there’s also a combined admission ticket. Guided tours and an audio guide in English are available. Visit the museum’s official website for more information.
