Museums and Galleries of Warsaw – Poland
The National Museum’s extensive collection makes it Warsaw’s most interesting museum, though formers royal residences such as the Royal Castle, and smaller, more specialized museums also have fascinating collections.
Polish Painting and Sculpture
The largest collection of Polish paintings and sculpture is within the National Museum (Muzeum Narodowe). This includes one of the most famous Polish (and Lithuanian) paintings, The Battle of Grunwald by Jan Matejko (1838-1893), the country’s finest historical painter. The modern and contemporary art gallery features work by leading artists such as Stanislav Wyspianski (1869-1907) and Jacek Malczewski (1854-1929).
The Royal Castle (Zamek Krolewski) has a vast collection of furniture, sculpture, decorative art and paintings, including works by Jan Matejko. The collection is growing all the time, thanks to donations from Polish émigrés.
A fascinating display of Polish fine art, paintings and sculpture can be seen in many buildings within Lazienki Park, particularly in the Palace on the Water (Palac na Wodzie) and White House (Bialy Dom). In the Old Orangerie, Classical sculptures and plaster casts are evocatively set among greenery.
Modern art can also be seen at the Neo-Classical Krolikarnia Palace ( a separate part of the National Museum). It houses the Xawery Dunikowski Museum, which is dedicated to the eponymous sculptor. Temporary modern are exhibitions are held at the Modern Art Centre (Centrum Sztuki Wspolczesnej) and Zacheta. The best modern art galleries include Test, Zapiecek, Foksal and Kordegarda.
European Painting and Sculpture
Warsaw’s most comprehensive collection of European art can be seen at the National Museum. This includes work by vaious Flemish, Dutch, Italian, French and German masters, such as Botticelli, Fabritius and Greuze. The Royal castle also has a extensive collection of European art. The Canaletto Room displays views of Warsaw by Bernardo Bellotto, pupil and nephew of Canaletto, who used his mentor’s name. Other nationalities represented include the Dutch painter Willem Claesz Heda, various French artists such as Claude Joseph Vernet and Elisabeth Vigée-Lebrun, while German artists inclue Hans Dürer, Joachim von Sandrart, and Angelika Kauffmann. Various European masters can also be seen at Wilanów and Lazienki palaces.