National Gallery of Victoria
Melbourne, Australia
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Visitor Information
Museum Address
180 St Kilda Road, Melbourne VIC 3004, Australia
Melbourne, Australia
Ticket Prices
Free (exhibitions vary)
Featured Artists
7 artists in database
The National Gallery of Victoria stands as Australia's oldest and most visited art museum, founded in 1861 just a decade after the colony of Victoria was established. Gold rush wealth funded the gallery's creation, as the government set aside money from mining revenues to create cultural institutions. The original building opened on Swanston Street in 1861, but the collection split in 1968 between the NGV International (opened 1968) on St Kilda Road and the Ian Potter Centre (opened 2002) at Federation Square, which focuses on Australian art.
The NGV International building, designed by Roy Grounds, became Melbourne's architectural landmark with its distinctive water wall entrance and Leonard French's massive stained-glass ceiling. The collection spans European, Asian, and international art from antiquity to today. Works by Rembrandt, Monet, and Titian represent Old Masters and Impressionist holdings. Entry to the permanent collection is free, making this one of the most accessible major museums in the Southern Hemisphere.
Visiting National Gallery of Victoria
Tiepolo's The Banquet of Cleopatra (1744) is the centerpiece. George Stubbs's Lion Attacking a Horse and Gustave Dore's Little Red Riding Hood are popular favorites.
On St Kilda Road in Melbourne, a short walk south from Flinders Street Station. The main building is called NGV International. Ford Madox Brown's works are in the European collection upstairs.
Baroque, Pre-Raphaelite, and Impressionism are well covered. Paul Signac's Post-Impressionist works and Bastien-Lepage's naturalism show the 19th-century range.
Yes, the permanent collection is free. Special exhibitions charge a fee. Tiepolo's massive Banquet of Cleopatra hangs in the Italian galleries. It's one of the Southern Hemisphere's finest art museums.
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Browse Our CollectionPlease note: Artwork locations and display status may change. Some paintings may be on loan, in restoration, or moved to different galleries within the museum. We recommend contacting National Gallery of Victoria directly to confirm specific artwork availability before your visit.
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