Eastern and Central Europe (Eyewitness Travel Guides)

For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp596–7 and pp598–9

SOUTH EASTERN EUROPE

Transylvanian biblical icons on stained glass, Museum of Art Collection

Royal Palace

and National

Art Museum 9
Regal Palatul şi Muzeul
Naţional de Arta

Calea Victoriei 49–53. Map D3.
Tel (021) 314 8189. @ 178. #
May–Sep: 11am–7pm Wed–Sun;
Oct–Apr: 10am–6pm Wed–Sun. &
8 = http://www.mnar.arts.ro

An imperial residence since
the mid-19th century, the
Royal Palace has undergone
several renovations during
its lifetime. King Carol I
(see p568) was respon sible
for much of the current
layout, redesigned in 1906.
Further recon struc tion took
place after a catastro phic fire
in 1926 and heavy bombing
in World War II. Its location
next to Revolution Square led
to further damage from
gunfire in December 1989.
Housed in the north wing
of the palace, the National Art
Museum was opened in 1950
to house the royal family’s art
collection. It closed in 1989
following the revolution when
as many as 1,000 artworks
were damaged, but reopened
after complete renovation.
The Gallery of Romanian Art
includes sculp tures by world-
renowned sculptor Constantin
Brâncuşi and paintings by
artist Nicolae Grigorescu. The
European Art Gallery, spread
over 15 rooms, boasts works
by masters such as Rubens,
Rembrandt, El Greco,
Tintoretto and Monet.

Museum of Art

Collection 0

Muzeul Colecţiilor de Arta

Calea Victoriei 111. Map D3.

Tel (021) 212 9641. @ # closed

for renovations, call in advance. &

Housed in a Neo-Classical

mansion with a surprisingly

unassuming interior, the

Museum of Art Collection

has an intriguing variety

of exhibits, of which the

dazzling 17th-century gilt

icon of Jesus Christ is the

undisputed high light.

An impressive

range of Romanian

artwork by masters

such as Nicolae

Grigorescu, Ştefan

Luchian and

Nicolae Tonitza

occupies the

ground floor.

On the first floor,

a display of tradi tional

glass Transylvanian icons,

remark able for their bright

colours and simplicity, can

be seen along side the

Oriental collection, com pri-

sing 15th-cen tury Chinese

porce lain, 19th-century

Japanese crock ery, statues

and a pretty wooden cup-

board inlaid with mother-

of-pearl, as well as Iranian

cera mics and Turkish rugs.

The same floor has a selec-

tion of antique European

treasures which includes

Austrian silverware, colourful

Storck Museum q

Muzeul de Arta

Frederic Storck şi

Cecilia Cutescu-Storck

Str V Alecsandri 16. Map D2. @

# 9am–4pm Tue–Sun. &

Built in 1913 by sculptor and

architect Frederick Storck, this

museum contains numerous

works of art created or

collected by Storck and his

wife Cecilia.

Delightful murals

with floral and

feminine motifs

cover the walls of

the central rooms,

which took Cecilia

four years to paint.

Other pictures by

Cecilia include sea-

scapes painted at the family

villa in Balchik (now in

Bulgaria), portraits and still

lifes. Parti cularly impres sive

among Storck’s sculp tures,

which are exhibited next

to his wife’s work, are the

bronze pieces inspired by

Rodin. Several rooms are

furnished with lovely ceramic

stoves deco rated with floral

and bird motifs painted by

Karl Storck, Frederick’s father,

who was the first Romanian

teacher of sculp ture in the

Fine Arts Academy of

Bucharest. There is also a

Bohemian crystal and

19th-century French furni-

ture and tapestries.

Carpet, Museum

of Art Collection

Visitors at the Royal Palace and
National Art Museum

576