National Museum in Warsaw

(Muzeum Narodowe), the largest art museum in the Polish People’s Republic. Founded in 1862, it was called the Museum of Fine Arts until 1916. The museum’s present building was constructed between 1926 and 1938 (architect, T. Tolwiński).

The museum contains ancient Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Byzantine artistic works; a collection of European painting and sculpture from the 15th to the 20th century; an extensive collection of Polish art from the 13th to the 20th century; Polish, European, and Oriental applied art; and graphics and numismatics collections. Since 1938 the museum has published a yearbook entitled Rocznik Muzeum Narodowego w Warszawie. The museum also administers the museums in the Łazienki and Wilanów palaces and the X. Dunikowski Museum (all in Warsaw), the Łowicz Museum, and the museum in the Nieborów palace.