General Information

Located in the historical centre of Mexico City, in a neoclassical building, the Museo Nacional de Arte, or simply MUNAL (National Museum of Art) includes a large collection representing the history of Mexican art from the mid 16th century to the mid 20th century. Its permanent collection contains more than 3,000 exhibits.

Additional Information

The museum was founded in 1982 as the “Museo Nacional de Arte”, and reinaugurated in 2000, after intense remodelling and technical upgrades to the facility. It currently focuses on the exhibition, study and diffusion of Mexican and international art from the 16th century to the first half of the 20th century. Besides exhibitions, the museum also offers workshops, issues publications and organises activities for the public.

Collection: Highlights

The museum’s permanent collection is designed to give a panoramic view of the development of fine arts in Mexico from the early colonial period to the mid 20th century. The artwork is subdivided into three distinct periods. The first covers the colonial period, the second covers the first century after independence and the third covers the period after the Mexican Revolution.

Collection: Explained

The collection of art from the colonial period is entitled “Asimilación de occidente” (Assimilation of the West) and is contained within Salons 1-14 on the second floor. This collection shows how Western-style painting transferred over and synthesised in Mexico, eventually leading to the establishment of Mexico’s own fine arts institution, the Academy of San Carlos, the first of its kind in the Americas. The exhibition of art from the first century of Mexican Independence (1810–1910) is entitled “La construcción de la Nación” (Construction of a Nation) and is housed in Salons 19-26 of the second floor. Coinciding with the Romanticism period, most paintings have themes such as Mexican customs and landscapes with the purpose of defining a Mexican identity. The latest period is titled “Estrategías plásticas para un México moderno” (Strategies for the fine arts in modern Mexico) and is housed in Salons 27-33 on the first floor. Historically, this period began after the end of the Mexican Revolution when questions of modernity and nationalism were foremost. It also coincides with the development of the Mexican muralist movement. Some of the salons are devoted to temporary exhibitions, such as the paintings of Pedro Gualdi from the 19th century, and more contemporary photographic exhibitions by Carlos Monsivais and Marina Yampolsky

Architecture: Highlights

Located in the old Palace of Communications, built with the intention of showing Mexico’s commitment to modernization, the museum’s building has an eclectic architectural design. It is a mix of elements from past architectural styles, which is characteristic of that time period.

Architecture: Explained

MUNAL is located in the old Palace of Communications. In the early part of the 20th century, the government hired an Italian architect, Silvio Contri, to design and build this “palace” to house the Secretariat of Communications and Public Works, the purpose of which was to show Mexico’s modernization. The Palace was constructed on the former site of the hospitals of San Andres and of Gonzalez Echeverria. The eclectic blending of architectural design would later solidify into a movement called “modernismo”, both because of the tendency to use newly-devised construction techniques and the tendency to use metal for decorative purposes, to symbolize progress of the Industrial Age. The decorative elements of the building were done by the Coppedé family of Florence, who designed the door knockers, the window frames, the leaded crystal, the stonework, the furniture, lamps and ironwork among many other elements. Over the years, much of the Palace deteriorated until around 2000, when Project MUNAL restored the edifice to its original look and added the latest technology for the preservation of artistic works.

Reception Hall and Patio de los Leones: Highlights

There are two elements that stand out in the museum: the decoration of the Reception Hall and the sculptures in the Patio de los Leones. The Reception Hall on the second floor is designed to imitate the splendour of similar halls in Europe. Patio of the Liones, like the rest of the building synthesises a number of different architectural styles.

Reception Hall and Patio de los Leones: Explained

The Reception hall is profusely decorated with precious metal and crystal ornaments, as well as allegorical murals dedicated to themes such as science, the arts, liberty, history, work and progress. The work devoted to the concept of progress subdivides into four themes of force, justice, wisdom and wealth. This hall became the preferred place for president Porfirio Díaz to perform public declarations and receive dignitaries from abroad.
As regards Patio de los Leones, the two primary styles seen there are Classic and Gothic with other styles introduced in the forms of sculptures, lighting and sculpted stonework. In the centre is a large semicircular staircase to the upper floors.