Museum of John Paul II Collection

The Museum of John Paul II Collection (Polish: Muzeum Kolekcji im. Jana Pawła II) is an art museum in Warsaw, Poland, dedicated to a painting collection amassed by Zbigniew and Janina Porczyński. Housed in the building of the former Warsaw Stock Exchange and Bank of Poland, the institution is also known as the Porczyński Gallery or the Carroll-Porczyński Collection. The museum holds approximately 400 to 450 exhibits, primarily comprising Old Master and Impressionist works, though it has been controversial due to persistent questions about the authenticity of numerous pieces. It is counted among the more prominent collections of European art in the Polish capital.

The collection was assembled by Zbigniew and Janina Porczyński beginning in 1981. During the first three years, the couple focused on acquiring paintings with biblical themes, later expanding to portraits and Impressionist works. In 1986, they transferred about 400 exhibits to the Archdiocese of Warsaw and the Polish nation, establishing a foundation to oversee the collection. The first public display opened on 5 November 1987 at the Museum of the Warsaw Archdiocese on Solec Street, attracting long queues of visitors. A second portion of the collection was exhibited from 14 September to 30 December 1988. In 1989, the foundation's beneficiaries, the Primate of Poland and the Polish Ministry of Arts and Culture, decided to create a permanent museum. The official founding took place on 20 July 1990, carried out by Cardinal Józef Glemp and Minister Izabela Cywińska. The city of Warsaw provided the former stock exchange building as a permanent home. The collection has since been augmented by approximately 50 additional paintings and sculptures over the subsequent two decades. The foundation, Fundacja Arteks, was formally registered on 27 February 2002. On 16 January 1992, the Polish Post issued a series of six stamps titled "Arcydzieła z kolekcji im. Jana Pawła II" (Masterpieces of the John Paul II Collection), with print runs between 1.8 and 7 million, featuring self-portraits from the collection.

The collection is displayed across eight rooms arranged thematically rather than according to strict art-historical principles, with organization reflecting Catholic values. The thematic groupings include: Impressionists; mythology and allegory; portraits and self-portraits in the two-story "Rotunda" hall; mothers and children; effigies of the Madonna and Child; biblical themes; still lifes and landscapes in the gallery; and a dedicated room for the monumental painting Baptism of Lithuania (1889) by Wojciech Gerson. The majority of works represent British, Dutch, Early Netherlandish, Flemish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, and Swiss Old Masters, along with their pupils and followers. A smaller portion consists of Impressionist works. Sculpture is represented by bronze casts including Jupiter and the eagle by Julien Dillens, Head of Saint John the Baptist by Auguste Rodin, and the Unicorn by Salvador Dalí.

Among the named artists represented in the collection are Paris Bordone, Cornelis van Haarlem, José de Ribera, William-Adolphe Bouguereau, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Vincent van Gogh. The collection also holds a significant group of paintings by the Swiss artist Fritz Zuber-Bühler. The centerpiece of one dedicated room is Wojciech Gerson's large-scale historical painting Baptism of Lithuania from 1889. However, the attribution of many works has been disputed. Since 1987, various art experts have questioned the authenticity of numerous important pieces in the collection. Polish art historians Mieczysław Morka and Waldemar Łysiak have published multiple critiques. A painting bearing the signature of Alfred Sisley, titled River landscape, was identified as a forgery by the British forger Tom Keating.

The museum occupies the building of the former Warsaw Stock Exchange and Bank of Poland, located in the Śródmieście district of central Warsaw. The structure was originally designed by Antonio Corazzi in 1825 and was rebuilt after its destruction during the Second World War. The building's neoclassical architecture provides a formal setting for the display of the collection, with the two-story Rotunda hall serving as a prominent exhibition space within the museum.

The Museum of John Paul II Collection is situated in Warsaw, the capital of Poland, in the Śródmieście city center district. The institution operates under the foundation established by the Porczyńskis, with the city of Warsaw having provided the building as the permanent exhibition venue. The museum's role has been complicated by criticism regarding the foundation's activities, including the organization of commercial events in the museum premises and allegations of opaque public financing, which led to years of legal disputes. Despite these controversies, the collection remains accessible to the public and is considered among the significant art museums in Warsaw.