The National Gallery of Victoria description and photos - Australia: Melbourne (Topic)

The National Gallery of Victoria description and photos - Australia: Melbourne. Detailed information about the attraction. Description, photographs and a map showing the nearest significant objects. The title in English is The National Gallery of Victoria.

Photo & Description

The National Gallery of Victoria is Australia's largest and oldest public art gallery. Founded in Melbourne in 1861. In December 2003, the gallery's funds were divided into two large collections - the Gallery of International Art and the Ian Potter Center. The first is located in a building on Saint Kilda, built in 1968 by the design of Roy Grounds in the heart of the city's cultural quarter. And the Ian Potter Center is located in a building on Federation Square.

At the time the gallery was first opened, Victoria was only an independent colony for 10 years, but the gold rush made it the richest region in Australia, and Melbourne - the largest city in the country. Generous gifts from the wealthy townspeople allowed the National Gallery to begin acquiring works as antiques, and contemporary artists, including those abroad. Today, more than 65 thousand works of art are kept in its funds.

In 1867, an art school was opened at the Gallery, which was the leading art institute in Australia until 1910. Its alumni include some of the most famous Australian painters.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Australian art flourished, enabling the Gallery to assemble a significant collection of works by local artists that reflected the integration of European art into Australia's distinctive culture. One of the most famous works of that time - "The Pioneer" by Frederic McCabin, painted in 1904.

Among the works of the Gallery of International Art you can see paintings by Bernini, Palmezzano, Rembrandt, Rubens, Tiepolo, Tintoretto, Uccello and Veronese. There are also excellent collections of ancient Greek vases, Egyptian artifacts, European ceramics, etc.

At the Ian Potter Center, opened in 2003, you can get acquainted with the work of Australian artists, including objects of culture and life of the Australian Aborigines.

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Topic: The National Gallery of Victoria description and photos - Australia: Melbourne.