The collection of the Odessa Art Museum is one of the most significant and diverse collections of national fine art in Ukraine. The collection of the Odessa Art Museum is one of the most significant and multifaceted collections of national fine art in Ukraine. It It covers all types of fine art (painting, graphics, sculpture, Decorative and applied art) and includes works by Ukrainian and Russian masters from icon painting of the 16th century to the present day, totalling more than 10,000 original works. more than 10,000 original works.
The museum is located in the centre of Odessa, in the palace, which is a monument of architecture of the early 19th century and has art. architectural monument of the early 19th century and has an artificial underground grotto, also open to the public. open to the public. The museum's exposition is located in 26 halls on two floors. It is built in historical and chronological sequence with observance of the monographic principle of showing the works of each artist. monographic principle of showing the works of each author.
The exposition opens with remarkable works of icon painters of the 16-18th centuries. and full of originality early secular portraits of the 17th century. Painting of the 18th - early 19th century is introduced by the works of the best masters of that epoch, such as D. Levitsky, V. Borovikovsky, O. Kiprensky, V. Tropinin, etc.
The museum has a large and representative collection of works by artists of the democratic direction in the national art of the second half of the 19th century. These are the works of such famous artists as I. Kramskoy, A. Savrasov, I. Leviev. Savrasov, I. Levitan, I. Shishkin, A. Kuindzhi, I. Repin, V. Surikov and many others. others. Interesting and numerous is the collection of paintings of the famous marinist I.Aivazovsky.
One of the best sections of the collection - the art of the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries - reflects the diversity and intensity of creative endeavour. reflects the diversity and tension of creative endeavours of this difficult time. В. Serov, N. Vrubel, I. Roerich, B. Kustodiev, A. Benois, K. Somov, V. Kandinsky, П. Levchenko, A. Murashko. The Department of Modern Art presents the artistic life of Odessa from the 20s to the present day.
A large interesting collection of icons in the Odessa Art Museum gives an opportunity to fully acquaint oneself with unique monuments of Russian and Ukrainian icon painting of the 16th to 19th centuries.
