Museum

Brașov Art Museum

Brașov, Romania

Brașov Art Museum is a museum in Brașov, Romania. 45 works from its collection are in this catalog, including Hugo Kołłątaj and Elena Popea.

About Brașov Art Museum

Art museum in Brașov, Romania

Overview

The Art Museum of Brașov is a non-profit public institution of culture subordinated to the Brașov County Council, classified as a museum of county importance. Established to collect, document, preserve, restore, and research heritage, it serves the public through exhibitions and educational programs focused on local, regional, and national artistic patrimony. The museum's mission includes harnessing this heritage for knowledge, education, and recreation, functioning with its own legal personality since gaining independence in 1990.

History & Founding

The institution was originally established in 1949 as a section of the Regional Museum. Its first fine art exhibition opened on February 19, 1950, located on the floor of the Council House (Casa Sfatului). The museum operated in this location until moving to its current building on March 1, 1970.

It was constituted as an independent institution on June 1, 1990, following Decision no. 227 of June 11, 1990, which detached the Art Section from the County Museum of Brașov.

Building & Architecture

The museum is housed in a building erected in 1902 in the neo-baroque style, designed by Moritz Wagner, a local Saxon architect. Originally constructed for the Brașov Craftsmen Association (Kronstadt Gewerbevereinhaus), the structure is located on Bulevardul Eroilor number 21, near the Hotel Capitol. The building features six halls on the upper floor dedicated to the national gallery of painting and sculpture, and additional spaces for decorative art exhibitions.

Collection Highlights

The museum's patrimony comprises over 4,500 works of art, including oil paintings, graphics, sculptures, decorative art, icons, tapestries, and oriental carpets. The collection of painting, graphics, and sculpture is representative of modern and contemporary Romanian art as well as Transylvanian art from the 16th to the 20th centuries. Permanent exhibitions include the National Gallery, which traces the evolution of Transylvanian and Romanian art, and a Decorative Art exhibition featuring pieces from Oriental, European, and Romanian traditions.

Significance & Exhibitions

The museum distinguishes itself as a prestigious institution through national and international exhibitions, including those dedicated to universal modern art and great 20th-century photographers such as Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, Brassaï, and Robert Capa. It has organized significant thematic exhibitions highlighting the evolution of Romanian and Transylvanian art, such as 'A Century of Brasov Art (1815-1918),' 'Interwar Brasov Art,' and 'Art under Communism.' The institution provides generous exhibition space for both established and emerging contemporary artists.