The Gallery of 19th-Century Polish Art in the Cloth Hall

Rynek Główny 3

The most famous collection of Polish 19th-century painting and sculpture, and a beautiful panorama of the Main Market Square of Kraków. When visiting Kraków, you simply cannot skip this venue!

This is the oldest branch and the first home of the National Museum set up in Kraków in 1879. The monumental Nero’s Torches, presented to the city by its author, Henryk Siemieradzki, became the germ of the collection. Today it is displayed in a place of honour, in a hall named after the artist. The collection is certainly one of the largest and most famous of 19th-century Polish painting and sculpture. The presentation opens with a somewhat smaller room gathering works dating back to the second half of the 18th century and the circle of patronage of Stanisław August Poniatowski, the last king of Poland before the country lost its independence in 1795. Also presented are other paintings and sculptures by the most distinguished artists of the following century, the time when Poland was under partition, notably of Piotr Michałowski, Artur Grottger, Jan Matejko, Henryk Siemiradzki, Jacek Malczewski, Leon Wyczółkowski, and Józef Chełmoński. The works of Polish artists, both those operating in Poland and émigrés – are more than examples of artistic tendencies characteristic of the time, as they are also witnesses of the Polish struggle for independence, who never condoned the loss of independence of Poland at the time of the partitioning. After a visit to the gallery, it is worthwhile to relax on the terrace of the Cloth Hall, taking in an exceptional view of the Main Market Square.

Tickets: normal PLN 25, concessions PLN 15, family PLN 50, admission free on Tuesday