The Art Gallery of New South Wales, opened in 1897. was located in Sydney's Domain Park. Today it is Sydney's largest Sydney public gallery and the fourth largest in Australia. Visiting exhibition rooms featuring art from Australia, Europe and Asia, is free of charge.
In 1871, a public meeting was held in Sydney which resolved to to establish an Academy of Art "for the promotion of the fine arts through the lectures, masterclasses and regular exhibitions". Up until 1879 the main focus of the Academy's work was the organisation of annual art exhibitions, and in 1880 the Academy was dissolved, as the fulfilment of its tasks was taken over by the public Gallery, which was so called - The Art Gallery of New South Wales. Unfortunately, in 1882, most much of the gallery's collections were destroyed in a fire, and for the next 13 years, the need for a permanent building for the gallery.
The building, designed by architect Vernon, was built in 1897 in the style of of classicism. In the same year the first two exhibition halls were opened, two more were opened two years later. The Watercolour Gallery was built in 1901, and in 1902. the Grand Oval Hall was completed. In 1970 the "Captain Cook's Wing" was added to the building, and in 2003 a wing was opened to exhibit the work of Asian artists. On the outside of the building are bronze sculptures symbolising the contributions to art of four great civilisations - Roman, Greek, Assyrian and Egyptian.
Today, the Art Gallery exhibits the work of many Australian artists from the 19th and 20th centuries. 44 works are included in the "100 Masterpieces of Australian Painting. Among the works of European masters are presented paintings by Rubens, Canaletto, Picasso, Rodin, Monet, Cézanne and other celebrated masters from the 16th century to the present day.
