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Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL)
The National Museum of Art was founded in 1982 as the Museo Nacional de Arte, and re-inaugurated in 2000. 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. Its permanent collection contains more than 3,000 pieces and has 5,500m2 of exhibition space.
It is located in the old Palace of Communications. In the early part of the 20th century, the government hired the Italian architect Silvio Contri to design and build this palace to house the Secretariat of Communications and Public Works.
The architectural design is eclectic, mixing elements of past architectural styles, which is characteristic of that time period. This blending 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 in the decorative aspects to symbolize progress in 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.
Museo Nacional de Arte (MUNAL)
The National Museum of Art was founded in 1982 as the Museo Nacional de Arte, and re-inaugurated in 2000. 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. Its permanent collection contains more than 3,000 pieces and has 5,500m2 of exhibition space.
It is located in the old Palace of Communications. In the early part of the 20th century, the government hired the Italian architect Silvio Contri to design and build this palace to house the Secretariat of Communications and Public Works.
The architectural design is eclectic, mixing elements of past architectural styles, which is characteristic of that time period. This blending 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 in the decorative aspects to symbolize progress in 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.