National Museum, Kraków

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

National Muzeum, main building, at ulica 3 -go maja, Kraków.

The National Museum, Kraków (Polish: Muzeum Narodowe w Krakowie), established 1879, is the main branch of Poland's National Museum, which has many permanent collections around the country.

1 History
2 Collections
- 2.1 Militaria
- 2.2 Decorative arts
3 Museum Divisions
4 See also
5 External sources

[edit] History

National Museum's Sukiennice Division.

Kraków National Museum was first housed at the upper floor of the Sukiennice building, now the home of one of its divisions. The construction of the Museum's New Building at 3 Maja Street started in 1934, but was interrupted by World War II. It was completed only in 1992.

The Museum collections - consisting of several hundred thousand items - are kept in big part in the Main Building but also in the nine of its divisions around the city.

[edit] Collections

Road by the Stream, by Wojciech Gerson.

Motherhood, by Stanisław Wyspiański.

Death of Józef Poniatowski, by January Suchodolski.

The Main Building features the newly renovated upper Gallery of the Twentieth Century Polish Art, one of the largest art galleries in Poland. It contains a collection of paintings and sculptures from the late nineteenth century on, including canvases by Jacek Malczewski, Leon Wyczółkowski and Włodzimierz Tetmajer; an extensive collection of works by Stanisław Wyspiański; and also, works by artists of the inter-war and post-war periods: cubists, expressionists, colorists, the avant-garde of the 1930s and representatives of New Directions from the 1960s.

[edit] Militaria

The Main Building has a vast display of militaria ranging from twelfth to twentieth century, including Polish armor from sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, Polish sabers, firearms, saddles and caparisons, military uniforms from eighteenth to twentieth century, military orders, medals and distinctions. The Museum holdings also include a collection of Western and Eastern European weapons. The militaria are presented at the "Arms and Colours" exhibition.

[edit] Decorative arts

Decorative arts and crafts are exhibited in the Decorative Arts and Crafts Gallery, with gold, silver and precious stone artifacts ranging from twelfth to eighteenth century; copper, pewter and iron objects, such as bowls and wrought iron chests; old furniture, musical instruments, clocks, ceramics and glass, notably stained glass from the churches of Kraków. The Museum has one of Poland's largest collections of Polish and Oriental antique rugs and carpets, as well as a collection of sixteenth to twentieth century costumes.