Online Encyclopedia
National Gallery of Australia
The National Gallery of Australia is a major art gallery (museum) in Canberra, Australia. It is Australia's "national art gallery" funded by the Federal Government.
Major Displays:
- Australian Art
- Art in the Aboriginal Tradition (mostly recent, but in traditional forms)
- Art in the European Tradition
- Western Art (from Medieval to Modern, mostly Modern)
- Eastern Art (from South and East Asia, mostly traditional)
- Modern Art (international)
- Crafts (dishes to dresses, international)
- Sculpture Garden (Rodin to Modern)
- Visiting exhibits
As of this writing, the Gallery is open daily, and closes at 5PM. The fog sculpture in the sculpture garden is only operated between noon and 2PM. Admission is free except to the visiting exhibits. There are a cafe and a gift shop on the premises.
Allow 2-3 hours for a walkthrough with a cursory examination of all the displays, longer if you have more than casual interest in some of it.
Its most internationally famous work in the Gallery is "Blue Poles", painted in 1952 by American artist Jackson Pollock. The purchase, under the auspices of the Whitlam government, was politically extremely controversial, though history has shown that the painting's reputation (and value) has grown enormously.