National Museum of Decorative Arts, National museum in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
The National Museum of Decorative Arts is a museum in Recoleta that displays European and oriental furniture, sculptures, porcelain, paintings, and tapestries spanning the 14th through 20th centuries. The collection features objects from different styles and periods arranged within the elegant rooms of a neoclassical palace.
The neoclassical palace was designed in 1911 by French architect René Sergent as a private residence for Josefina de Alvear and Matías Errázuriz Ortúzar. The building was later converted into a museum to make the owners' extensive art collection available to the public.
The collection includes works by European masters such as El Greco, Corot, and Manet, reflecting the artistic tastes of 19th-century Argentine high society. The rooms remain arranged as the original owners designed them, offering a window into their personal lifestyle and preferences.
The museum is located on Avenida del Libertador and opens in the afternoons Tuesday through Sunday, though wheelchair access is not available throughout the building. Visitors should check ahead about any special conditions or closures that might affect their visit.
The museum preserves the exact arrangement of rooms as the original owners personally designed them, setting it apart from typical exhibition museums. This approach allows visitors to understand the house genuinely as a home, not merely as a display space.
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