Description of the attraction
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 St. Kilda, built in 1968 by Roy Grounds in the heart of the city's cultural district. And the Ian Potter Center is housed in a building on Federation Square.
When 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 of both ancient and contemporary artists, including those from 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 amass significant collections of works by local artists that reflected the integration of European art into Australia's distinctive culture. One of the most famous works of the time was Frederick McCabin's Pioneer, written 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 works of Australian artists, including objects of culture and life of the Australian Aborigines.
