The National Museum of Fine Arts is located in the historic center of Rio de Janeiro. It is a building of eclectic architecture designed in 1908 by architect Adolfo Morales de los Rios for the needs of National School of Fine Arts, the faithful successor of the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts, built during the urban modernization of the city. The museum was officially opened in 1937 by decree of President Getúlio Vargas. The National Museum of Fine Arts shared a common building with the National School of Fine Arts until 1976, when the EBA was relocated to Fundão Island.
Today, this museum is an institution with the largest and most important collection of Brazilian art of the 19th century, the collection consists of hundreds of thousands of works of art, including paintings, drawings, engravings, sculptures, objects, documents and books.
The collection of the National Museum of Fine Arts, now about 200 years old, was created in three different periods: the first period consists of paintings brought by Joaquim Lebreton, head of the French Art Mission, who arrived in Rio de Janeiro in 1816; the second period consists of works created in Brazil and the third period consists of works from the collection of D. João VI, which he left in Brazil when he returned to Portugal in 1821.
The museum collection is exhibited on an area of 17.000 m2, and aims to introduce Brazilian culture and art as well as its spread.
Ticket price for the National Museum of Fine Arts
Regular ticket price: 8 BRL
Reduced ticket price: 4 BRL (for families)
Free entrance: Sundays
Working hours of the National Museum of Fine Arts
Tuesday to Friday from 10 am to 6 pm
Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 12 pm to 5 pm.
