Gallery of Fine Arts

Address: Ulica kralja Tomislava 15, 21 000 Split

Phone: +385 (0) 21 350110

The Gallery of Fine Arts is an art museum in Split, containing works from the 14th century up to the present day, providing an overview of the artistic developments in the local art scene. The Gallery's specific and exceptionally valuable collection holds over 5200 works.

The Gallery was founded in 1931, and has a permanent exhibition of paintings and sculptures that includes works by major Croatian artists, such as Vlaho Bukovac, Mato Celestin Medović, Branislav Dešković, Ivan Meštrović, Emanuel Vidović and Ignjat Job. Besides the Croatian artists, the Gallery's collection holds artworks from former Yugoslavia, Italy, Germany, Austria, France and Czech Republic.

The gallery also has an extensive collection of icons, and holds special exhibits of works by contemporary artists.

This diversity has influenced the Collection’s exhibition concept in nearly 400 works of art exhibited in the space of 2200 m2. The selection reflects the entire collection, its stylistic, thematic and media diversity, covering a time span of nearly seven hundred years. Thus, the exhibition is an opportunity for unique time travel, a space where you can experience the incomparable adventure of art.

The exhibition begins at the first floor with the works by old masters (1400 – 1900) and continues with anthological works of the great masters of Croatian Modernism (1900 – 1950). The second half of the 20th century is represented with masterpieces of High Modernism (1950 – 1970), among which Croatia’s internationally famous abstract art production. The ground floor display presents Croatia’s and local contemporary art practices (1960 – present), reflecting its multidisciplinary and multimedia diversity, as well as especially strong media art production.

The indoor atrium also offers visitors a bookstore, a museum shop, and a café. The north wing houses the restoration workshops, and an archive library.

The gallery recently (2009) relocated to new premises in the old hospital building (built 1792 as the first municipal hospital), completely refurbished to provide a fully modern exhibit space.