Gallery of 19th-century Polish Art

The Gallery of 19th-century Polish Art, located in the Kraków Cloth Hall, is the oldest department of the National Museum in Kraków. It is the largest permanent exhibition of the 19th-century Polish painting and sculpture. Especially worthy of attention are works by Henryk Siemiradzki, Jan Matejko, Jacek Malczewski, Józef Chełmoński, and Artur Grottger. The collection was originated by Henryk Siemiradzki, who donated his famous painting "Nero's Torches".

Pieces of art are displayed in four halls. The first one titled "Enlightenment" consists of historical scenes and portraits mostly by foreign painters brought by Stanisław August Poniatowski. The "Romanticism. Towards National Art" includes the largest collection of works by Piotr Michałowski in Poland. The other halls are "Around the Academy" and "Realism, Polish Impressionism, Beginnings of Symbolism".