Community Highlights Europe Warsaw National Arts Museum

Warsaw National Arts Museum

By Vic_IV

Published 20 Sep 2025 · Poland · Comments

On the invitation of the IOM, my wife and I were privileged to pay another visit to Warsaw. It took place owing to the IOM project in the Ukrainian refugees home in Siedlce. We were invited to pay a visit to the arts museum.
We arrived earlier and had some time, and decided to visit the places we had only passed by bus before: New World Street, the University Campus, Holy Cross Church, excellent old streets such as Foksal Street, impressive monuments and memorials, exquisite architectural landmarks. You can see a lot of historical tenement houses next to ultramodern shopping malls and business centers.
We walked to the Palm of Warsaw which I had long wanted to see. It stands at the beginning of Jerusalem Avenue at the place where the Christmas Tree was once erected. We read the memorial laque dedicated to this monument. It reads,

• "The official name of the monument is “Greetings from Jerusalem Avenue”. It was installed by a private investor Joanna Rajkowska on December 12, 2002. The memorial plaque reads, “Architect: Michal Rudnicki. Cooperation: Fundacja Instytut Promocji Sztuki / Institute for Art Promotion Foundation.
• Greetings from Jerusalem Avenue is a public art project that creates a symbolic axis for the city. The project stems from the artist's experience of the Second Intifada (Palestinian Uprising) when she was in Israel in 2001. It alludes both to the history of Aleje Jerozolimskie (i.e. Jerusalem Avenue), which was named after an 18th-century Jewish settlement called New Jerusalem, and to contemporary events - wars, migrations, pandemics, genocide, ecocide, and the climate catastrophe that is threatening life on Earth. The palm tree, a silent witness to conflict and crime, is itself a sign of life and the future. Symbolically planted in the avenue, it sets a stage on which the spectacle of city life plays out - the actors are both human beings and other entities which are part of the urban ecosystem.
• The palm tree has become a new symbol of Warsaw, exotic and familiar, provoking and energizing. As both a Varsovian and a foreigner, the palm is an homage to the chaotic, busy, Central European metropolis, and a tribute to diversity, flux, migration and change.
• The palm tree was installed on de Gaulle roundabout in the centre of Warsaw thanks to the enthusiasm and labours of many people: activists, volunteers, artists, institutions and companies. The installation was refurbished in 2024 (replacement of bark and leaves, conservation of the steel structure) with funding from the Centre of Polish Sculpture in Orońsko programme "Sculpture in Public Space for Independence 2024", derived from the budget of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
• According to the local development plan for the Rue de la Focschal District, approved in July 2017, the General Charles de Gaulle roundabout is to be eliminated and replaced with an intersection."

The Palm of Warsaw, Jerusalem Avenue

The monument to General Charles de Gaulle, Warsaw

The monument to General Charles de Gaulle, Warsaw

Boutique hotel at 40 Smolna Street, Warsaw, on the site of the summer residence of the Branicki family

Boleslaw Prus monument, Warsaw

Walking along New World Street, we saw the Zamoyski Palace, also known as the tenement house of Count Andrzej Zamoyski. It is a complex of two interconnected buildings located at 67 and 69 Nowy Świat (New World) Street in Warsaw. On September 19, 1863, the members of the National Gendarmerie attempted to assassinate the tsarist governor Count Fiodor Berg, who was passing through New World Street, from the window of the palace. In retaliation, the palace was plundered by Russian soldiers.

The memorial plaque reads,
On September 19, 1863, an assassination attempt was made on the Tsarist governor, Count Fiodor Berg, from this building, known as the Zamoyski Palace. In retaliation, the Russian army arrested the tenement's residents, and their property was thrown onto the pavement and burned. At that time, the family's memorabilia of Fryderyk Chopin, including the piano he played as a student at the Warsaw Conservatory, were destroyed. Cyprian Norwid immortalized this event in his poem "Chopin's Piano," a tribute to the composer's genius.
In 2001, on the 180th anniversary of C. Norwid's birth,
Fellow countrymen through the efforts and donations of the Warsaw Friends Society and the authorities of the Śródmieście District.

There are a lot of war memorials in almost every street, including this one.
We saw the monument dedicated to the partizans who had fought during the Second World War, as well as the Vistula Operation soldiers.
The inscription reads,
To the soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division named after Romuald Traugutt,
to the soldiers of the 1st Polish Army,
the heroes of the battles for the Vistula and the Przyczólki,
who fought for the liberation of Warsaw and reached this place in September 1944.

Dedicated on September 17, 1981, Warsaw

At the entrance to the historic part of the National University campus, Warsaw

The historical building of the National University, Warsaw

At the historical building of the National University, Warsaw

At the university entrance (Demostenes is on the right)

The monument to a student at the entrance to the university.

A bas-relief on the building where the poet Leopold Staff used to live in 1939-1957, Warsaw

At McDonalds in Holy Cross Street, Warsaw

The monument to Nicolaus Copernicus, or Mikolaj Kopernik

The monument to Nicolaus Copernicus, or Mikolaj Kopernik by Bertel Thorvaldsen, 1830

The monument to Nicolaus Copernicus, or Mikolaj Kopernik by Bertel Thorvaldsen

The monument to Nicolaus Copernicus, or Mikolaj Kopernik by Bertel Thorvaldsen, 1830. Nicolaus Copernicus was a well-known Renaissance polymath, polish mathematician, astronomer.
As you approach the monument and walk round the pedestal, you will read the inscriptions on its eastern and western sides. The east face of the pedestal bears the inscription, "Nicolo Copernico Grata Patria" (Latin: "To Nicolaus Copernicus from the Grateful Nation"), and the west face—"Mikołajowi Kopernikowi Rodacy" (Polish: "To Mikołaj Kopernik from his compatriots").
We reached Krakowskie Przedmieście Street and continued our exploration of the good old places.

We saw the bust to Cyprian Orwid (1821-1888), a famous and revered Polish poet, at the building where he lived in Warsaw. You can read an extract from his collection of poems „God’s Man”: Nie skończona jeszcze dziejów praca, Nie przepalony jeszcze glob, sumieniem! - The work of history is not yet finished, The globe is not yet burned out, with conscience!

The memorial plaque to Stanisław August, the last king of Poland reads,
"Stanisław August, King of Poland of the Grand Duke of Lithuania, born on January 4, 1732, died on February 12, 1793. He received the first news of his elevation from the home of his parents, Stanisław Rasztelan of Kraków and Konstancja Czartoryska, on this very spot on September 7, 1794. Count Seweryn Uruski, having rebuilt the former Poniatowski Palace from its foundations in 1842, placed this inscription for posterity's memory."

Before visiting te arts museum, we went to Holy Cross Church. There is an impressive monument to Christ bearing the cross at the entrance.

We reached Visitation Sisters Convent and the monument to Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski that stands in front of tht convent. The convent itself was closed, as we turned back to the Palm of Warsaw.

Visitation Sisters Convent / The monument to Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski

Walking along New World Street, Warsaw

The monument to Josef Poniatowski in front of the Presidential Palace in Warsaw

Holy Cross Church, Krakowskie Przedmieście Street, Warsaw

As you enter Holy Cross Church, you will see a huge bronze statue of John Paul II hall to your left.
The inscription reads, "It is impossible to understand this nation, whose past was so glorious, yet so terribly difficult, without Christ. It is impossible to understand this city, Warsaw, the capital of Poland, which in 1944 decided to fight an unequal battle against the invader... A fight in which it was buried under its own ruins, unless one remembers that under those same ruins also lay Christ the Savior with his cross, which stood in front of the church in Krakow's suburbs..."
John Paul II, Warsaw, June 2, 1979

The National Museum in Warsaw was founded in 1862 as the Museum of Fine Arts. It was initially created to showcase works by Polish and foreign artists and to preserve cultural treasures related to Polish history. Over time, the museum's collections expanded significantly and encompassed a wider range of cultural and historical artefacts.

Particular attention is paid to Polish artists of the 19th and 20th centuries. The museum presents works by such masters as Jan Matejko, Józef Chełmoński, and Jacek Malczewski. These works reflect the national identity, the struggle for independence, and the cultural heritage of Poland.

The museum also houses an extensive collection of European paintings, featuring works by Italian, Dutch, French, and German masters. Among the most significant exhibits are works by artists such as Sandro Botticelli, Luca Giordano, and Rembrandt.

The Ancient Egyptian Collection features sarcophagi, mummies, jewelry, and other objects found during excavations. This collection allows visitors to immerse themselves in the world of ancient civilizations.

God Anubis, Protector of necropolis in the form of a jackal, New Kingdom (ca.1550-1069 BC), wood

(on the right): Jupiter Capitolinus, a Roman replica of the original from the Republican period, Roman Empire, late 2nd-3rd century AD, marble

The Medieval Art section encompasses works related to the Christian religion and culture. These include icons, reliquaries, altarpieces, and sculptures. Medieval art is represented by works by both Polish and European masters.

The Sacral Arts Gallery at the National Arts Museum, Warsaw

The Sacral Arts Gallery at the National Arts Museum, Warsaw

The owl-shaped corbel, 12th century, France, sandstone

The Sacral Arts Hall

The history of the National Arts Museum is very similar to that of other similar cultural centers of the Polish capital. The arts museum suffered a lot from the destruction during the World War II.
As you enter the museum lobby, you can see several memorial plaques that contain a lot of information about te museum history and many names in golden letters. The inscriptions read,

The National Arts Museum in Warsaw, was established on May 20, 1862, under the name of the Museum of Fine Arts. It was organized by the efforts of the entire society and transformed in 1916 into the National Museum in the capital. It was reopened in its own new building on June 18, 1938.

The National Museum in Warsaw was destroyed and plundered by the Nazi invaders during the war of 1939-1944. The museum was rebuilt by the Polish People's Republic in Warsaw, returned to life, and reopened to the public on May 3, 1945.

In memory of the directors of the National Museum, Justinian Karnicki, Cyprian Lachnicki, Pius Wełoński, and Bronisław Gembarzewski, as well as distinguished employees of the National Museum and all donors to the National Museum, thanks to whom its collections have been enriched and expanded. This inscription was placed on the centenary of the National Museum.

In memory of distinguished employees of the National Museum who were murdered by the Nazis between 1939 and 1944: Franciszek Bartoszek, Zygmunt Batowski, Antoni Dembowski, Adolf Dudek, Aleksander Dzieciatko, Teofil Iwaniuk, Marian Kalinowski, Leokadia Lauzikówna, Stanislaw Kosmall, Piotr Kucharski, Kazimierz Kulikowski, Aleksandra Michalska, Zygmunt Miechowski, Kazimierz Molendzinski, Stanislaw Mroczek, Stanislaw Osostowicz, Franciszek Parecki, Stanislaw Serwatka, Zofia Stefanska, and Antoni Wieczorkiewicz.
This inscription was placed on the 100th anniversary of the National Museum.

The ground floor includes Faras Gallery, the Ancient Art Gallery, the Medieval Art Gallery, the educational open space. We managed to visit the galleries on the first floor: the gallery of the 19th century art, and the gallery of the Polish art. We could not miss the Gallery of Old Masters on the second floor.

Soccer graffiti in New World Street, Warsaw

Foksal Street, Warsaw

Foksal Street, Warsaw

Powislie railway station which we used for our trip.

This featured blog entry was written by Vic_IV from the blog Our Stay in Poland.
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