The National Art Museum of Timișoara (Muzeul Național de Artă Timișoara) is located in the historic Baroque Palace on Union Square (Piața Unirii) in the center of Timișoara.
History Of Baroque Palace
The Baroque Palace was built between 1752 and 1754 based on two existing buildings, the Mining Office and the Military Cashier’s Office, which were joined by an overstory. During a reconstruction in 1774, the palace was expanded with a new wing resulting in an organization with two inner courtyards which were separated by a two-story wing.
Between 1885 and 1886 the wing separating the inner courtyards was demolished and some changes were made to the building facades, which included the removal of the Baroque elements, resulting in the appearance the building has now.
Over time the building has been used for various purposes, including as a chamber house, president’s house, administrative headquarters, and as a higher education facility. After a period of abandonment during the communist time, a restoration began at the end of the 1980s. Since 1984 it has housed the art department of the Museum of Banat, which became the National Art Museum of Timișoara in 2006.
History Of The National Art Museum Of Timișoara
The history of the National Art Museum of Timișoara is closely linked to that of the National Museum of Banat, which was founded in 1872. The first collection consisted of donations of Italian, Flemish, German, Austrian, Hungarian, and Romanian paintings between 1888 and 1895 by Szigismond Ormós, one of the founders of the museum. Following directors of the museum expanded the collection via donations and purchases from across and beyond the Banat region. Over time the art museum has been located in different buildings across the city, including the Palace of Culture and Hundiade Castle, before it moved into the Baroque Palace in 1984.
Visiting The The National Art Museum Of Timișoara
The museum has a collection of over 8,000 pieces which include paintings, sculptures, decorative arts, and graphics. The largest collection of over 80 works belongs to the renowned Romanian painter and portraitist Corneliu Baba. Apart from the permanent art exhibition, the museum also organizes cultural events and temporary exhibitions.
