The Gallery of Oriental Art
Located on the third floor of the National Museum of Art of Romania central building on Calea Victoriei, alongside the European Decorative Arts Gallery, the Oriental Art Gallery shows nearly 600 art objects from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, China, Dagestan, Egypt, Greece, India, Iran, Japan, Syria, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The pieces are selected from the most significant and valuable collection of Oriental and Far Eastern art in the country, managed by NMAR.
The creation of this new permanent exhibition, unique in Romania, is the result of a collaborative effort involving museum curators, conservators, restorers, technicians and management as well as several partners, sponsors, and donors who supported the project over time: the "Friends of NMAR" Association, JTI, BRD Groupe Societe Generale, Camelia Șucu, Raiffeisen BANK, Coca-Cola Romania, Romcar, Banca Comercială Română, Tomini Trading, TNT Romania, Solmar Trading Group, Soft Medica, Romtelecom, Unilever, Veronica Savanciuc, ITH Management Office, CitiBank Romania, Leadership Development Romania, National Bank of Romania, Topo Capital Corporation, Domeniile Sâmburești and AQUA Carpatica.
Reopening of The European Decorative Art Gallery, 15th of January 2024
With an area of over 400 square meters, the European Decorative Art Gallery, composed of six rooms, illustrates four centuries of history of taste and refinement, innovations, manufactures and European craftsmen from Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Spain, Russia from the 16th-19th centuries and completes the museum's permanent exhibition, alongside the European Art Gallery and the National Gallery.
Included in the exhibition is a wonderful marriage box made in Dresden in 1586, ceramics from the famous faience factories of Delft (Netherlands), Manises (Spain), Montelupo Fiorentino and Savona (Italy), Rouen, Moustiers and Sèvres (France), Meissen (Germany), Provençal furniture and French tapestries, as well as special silver pieces alongside the famous Bohemian crystal glasses. The craftsmanship of Russian craftsmen can be admired in the delicate cloisonné silver pieces, the niello silver glasses or the Punch Bowl made by the famous Fabergé workshop. Also, a precious collection of watches illustrates the excellence of jewelers and watchmakers from the most important workshops in Europe.
The presence of these objects in Romania attests to the fact that our country has always been in a European circuit of exchanges of cultural values.
Europe was not only the space for the manifestation of secular practices in the artistic field, but also a place where the creative input from other continents merged into defining expressions of the exceptionality of the human spirit. These varied cultural influences have, over time, contributed to the definition of a European identity that is also reflected in the gallery display.
The opening of the European Decorative Art Gallery is due to a passionate and involved team from the National Art Museum of Romania, made up of museographers, conservators, restorers and technicians, but also to an important contribution of sponsors and partners without whom this far-reaching project would not be possible. would have been possible: Association "Friends of MNAR", Raiffeisen BANK, Camelia Șucu, Coca-Cola Romania, Romcar, Banca Comercială Română, Tomini Trading, TNT Romania, Solmar Trading Group, Soft Medica, Romtelecom, Unilever, Veronica Savanciuc, ITH Management Office, CitiBank Romania, Leadership Development Romania, Banca Națională a României, Topo Capital Corporation.
The spaces that house this gallery have gone through an extensive redevelopment process, being heavily affected by the earthquake in 1986 and the fire in 1989. The opening required the creation of showcases in accordance with the latest standards in the field, ensuring both security and high standard display.
The European Decorative Art Gallery benefits, for the first time, from a digital component, the MyMNAR application, to be used during the visit in the gallery to complement the exhibition course in an interactive way.
Access to the European Decorative Art Gallery is through entrance A2, floor 3, Calea Victoriei 49-53, Bucharest, Wednesday - Friday, 10:00 - 18:00 and Saturday- Sunday, 11:00 - 19:00.
Discover our collections!
The National Museum of Art of Romania, the Art Collections Museum, the Theodor Pallady Museum and the K. H. Zambaccian Museum can be visited from Wednesday to Sunday, between 10:00 and 18:00.
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The National Museum of Art of Romania is the country’s prime holder of Romanian, European and Oriental art. Located in the former Royal Palace in Bucharest, it includes the National Gallery (Romanian medieval and modern art) and the European Art Gallery. Apart from numerous temporary exhibitions, visitors can also join guided tours of the former Throne Hall and other spaces of historical relevance.
The Art Collections Museum, the K.H. Zambaccian Museum and the Theodor Pallady Museum are equally part of the National Museum of Art of Romania.
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The European Decorative Art Gallery
Divided into six rooms, illustrates four centuries of the history of taste and refinement, of European innovations, manufactures and craftsmen from Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Switzerland, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, Spain, Russia of the 16th-19th centuries and completes the museum's permanent collections, together with the European Art Gallery and the National Gallery.
Portrait of a Child
On the occasion of International Children's Day, the National Museum of Art of Romania and the organization Save the Children are organizing a special program.
K.H. Zambaccian Museum
Art collector and critic Krikor H. Zambaccian (1889-1962) put together one of the richest and most valuable private collections in Romania. In the 1940s Zambaccian had the house purpose built so as to enable him to display the paintings, sculptures, prints and drawings and furniture he had acquired over more than half a century. Both the collection and the house were donated by him to the Romanian State in 1947.
In celebration of his deed, Zambaccian was made a member of the Romanian Academy.
The collector’s portfolio of Romanian artists offers a brief but dense overview of modern Romanian art, covering representative paintings by founding figures like Theodor Aman, Nicolae Grigorescu, Ioan Andreescu, classical modernists like Ștefan Luchian, Nicolae Tonitza, Theodor Pallady and Gheorghe Petrașcu, and post-war figurative painters like Corneliu Baba, Alexandru Phoebus and Horia Damian. Sculptures by Brâncuși, Milița Petrașcu, Oscar Han and Cornel Medrea reflect Zambaccian’s preference for a more traditional vein of modernism. To create a context for Romanian art and enhance his prestige, Zambaccian also acquired works by Cézanne, Picasso, Matisse, Bonnard, Utrillo, and Marquet, which lend his collection a profile unmatched in Romania.
