National Museum

National Museum

The National Museum in Warsaw is the largest museum in Poland, dating back to the 2^nd half of the 19^th Century. On 20^th May 1862 a bill was passed regarding public education in the Kingdom of Poland and so followed the founding of the Main School, the School of Fine Art, the Main Library and the Museum of Fine Art. At first the museum primarily collected oil paintings, which it shared with the School of Fine Art, engravings from the Government Library and paintings by foreign artists. The works of Polish painters were kept in the Society for the Encouragement of the Fine Arts in Warsaw. The first director of the museum was Justynian Karnicki.

Cyprian Lachnicki, the second director, had a major effect on the status of the museum. Thanks to his management of the museum, it gained space in the Nepros House (a historical townhouse on the corner of Senatorska and Wierzbowa Streets) where the Gallery of Paintings was opened. Because the collections were open to all, the museum quickly gained in popularity. The museum also benefitted as many people gladly lent their own collections.

There are seven permanent galleries at present, each of which is dedicated to a different period. The ground floor area has artefacts from the Mediterranean cultures and the Faras Gallery presents exhibits from early the Christian period.

The National Museum has very rich collections from the prehistoric period to modern history, from the orient, paintings by foreign artists (e.g. Dutch and French) as well as those by Polish artists from as far back as the 13^th century.

The museum also organises temporary exhibitions.