The building was originally a drainage pumping station that underwent a major architectural renovation in 1933 to function as an art museum.
The collection includes 'La Ninfa sorprendida' by Édouard Manet, one of the few works by the artist in South America.
The museum holds a significant collection of Spanish colonial art and religious carvings.
The library attached to the museum is one of the most specialized art libraries in the country, containing over 150,000 volumes.
It houses the only painting by Francisco Goya permanently located in Argentina, 'Retrato de Manuel Silvela'.
The Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (MNBA) houses the largest public collection of art in Latin America, featuring over 12,000 pieces. Its permanent collection spans from pre-Columbian artifacts to international masterworks by Goya, Rembrandt, El Greco, and Degas. The museum is renowned for its comprehensive display of 19th and 20th-century Argentine art, including works by Xul Solar and Antonio Berni. The building itself is a former drainage pumping station, redesigned by Alejandro Bustillo in the early 1930s. It contains 34 exhibition halls distributed across two main floors. The museum serves as the primary institution for the preservation and study of fine arts in Argentina.
The central staircase and the grand, naturally lit hall on the ground floor.
Check the official website for rotating temporary exhibitions before arrival.
Prioritize the ground floor for international masters and the upper floor for Argentine historical art.
Take advantage of the free guided tours often offered in Spanish to understand the historical context of the Argentine collection.
Avoid visiting on public holidays without checking the website, as hours may be altered.
Closed on Mondays.
Maintain a quiet volume and do not touch the artwork; flash photography is strictly prohibited.
