Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya: Tickets, Exhibitions, and Visiting Guide

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya (MNAC) Overview

The National Museum of Art of Catalunya is famous for hosting the world's best Roman art collection. But MNAC is more than that. Apart from the Roman murals, it houses works by Catalunya's most important modernist artists, such as Antonio Gaudi, Ramon Casas, and others. There is an extensive collection of numismatics, another of engravings, and a whole section dedicated to photography.

The museum today owns around 250,000 artefacts. In addition to the permanent collection, it organises temporary exhibitions and performs the functions of conservation and study of the artworks.

Key Highlights of the National Museum of Catalonia

The highlights of the whole collection are the Roman art collection, especially murals transported to the museum directly from different churches. They make the MNAC a unique museum in the world.

These murals have been detached from their original placements with the “strappo” technique, first used in Rome in 59 AD. It separates a thin film of colour from the original surface using fabric and a non-organic colour fixator.

Apart from the murals, the works that you must see during your visit are: the world-famous Renaissance and Baroque painters such as:

• Fra Angelico with his Madonna dell'Umiltà
• Tintoretto, the brilliant representative of the mannerism, with a Gentlemen portrait
• Diego Velasquez, known as a baroque painter with a “Saint Paul”
• A “Virgin and Child with Saint Elizabeth and the Young Saint John” by the star of German flamenco school, Peter Paul Rubens
• Allegory of Love, Cupid and Psyche by Francisco de Goya, one of the most celebrated Spanish painters of all times
• Girl in front of the mirror by Tiziano

The best pieces of modern art housed in MNAC are:

• Laboratory of La Galette by Santiago Rusiñol
• Portrait of Thor Lütken by Edvard Munch
• Salvador Dali with a “Portrait of my dad”
• Pablo Picasso’s “Woman in hat and fur collar”
• And a series of works by Ramon Casas…

The History of MNAC

The first museum was opened in 1934 in the National Palace building in Barcelona's Sants-Montjuic district. This place is a recent work. Built for an International Exhibition in 1929, it adopted the baroque style and Renaissance characteristics, thus trying to imitate the best of what Spain had to show.

The first museum, The Museum of Art of Catalunya, featured a collection of medieval art: Roman murals, wood carvings, goldsmith pieces, enamels, and stone sculptures, most of which originated from Catalonia and Aragon.

The Museum of Modern Art was created in 1945, and in 1990, the actual MNAC united both, adding a numismatic collection and a collection of prints. Later, the museum continued growing and expanding its collection, adding a photography section in 1996 and another loan of works from the Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection in 2005.

Today, MNAC houses around 250,000 objects, and the collection is growing permanently. Besides, MNAC is a consortium established by the Catalan government. It participates continuously in the research and restoration of art objects. Being part of an international network of museums and galleries, MNAC often houses temporary exhibitions attracting paintings from all over the world.

National Art Museum Barcelona Architectural Significance

Everyone who has ever visited Barcelona knows the National Palace. It is located on Montjuic Hill and overlooks Plaza Espanya and the Barcelona Fair. At the foot lies a Magic Fountain, and a fantastic city view opens from the top.

Many visitors erroneously assumed that the National Palace was a historic building, although it was only recently constructed as part of the International Exhibition complex in 1929. The building imitates mixing styles, representing how European art developed for centuries. It boasts a blend of baroque and classicism, with the central cupola reflecting Saint Paul in London or Saint Peter's Church in the Vatican and the side towers almost exactly replicating the Giralda in Sevilla.

The palace was built between 1926 and 1929 and occupies a surface of 32.000 m2. Built in a hurry and without a clear idea of the future destiny of the building, Palau demonstrated various construction failures. So, when it was decided to keep the construction and use it as a museum headquarters, various works had to be done, especially in the 80s. At the same time, the interior spaces were refurbished and redecorated to adapt to the exposition halls. The works took longer than planned, and by the Olympic Games in 1992, only a prefiguration of the future museum had been presented to the public.

The waterfalls and fountains on the steps of the Palace were the work of Carles Buïgas. They still exist and are considered one of Barcelona's main attractions.

After night falls, people gather on the stairs of Palau to soak in a fantastic show of the water, dancing to the music and accompanied by beams of lights striving into the sky!

Nine large projectors were also installed on the palace's stairs. They are still there, and they emit intense beams of light that write the city's name in the sky for the bigger events.

MNAC Exhibitions and Collections

MNAC today features a variety of collections, starting with coins and engravings and ending with sculptures. The collection is so rich and diverse that the visitor's experience starts before and lasts long after the visit has finished.

Romanesque Art at the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

The collection's highlight is the Roman art exhibits, with the main accent paid to the murals. This is a star of MNAC. The paintings were meticulously transmitted from the walls of the medieval churches directly to the museum walls. They are mostly Catalan or from Aragon churches. Celebrated artists painted some, and some were anonymous.

Don't miss the medieval frescoes and wooden sculptures. They are primarily religious, as the art of that era served before everything the church needs.

Gothic and Renaissance Art in the MNAC Collection

In change, the Renaissance is represented by many artists of different origins and nationalities.

There are some great names, such as:

• Tiziano - Recognized by his contemporaries as "the sun among the stars," this is one of the most versatile Italian painters, equally capable of painting portraits and landscapes.
• Tintoretto represents the Venetian school. He was one of Tiziano's followers who, with time, acquired his style. According to his contemporaries, he could draw fast and effectively, having produced over 300 works.
• Peter Paul Rubens was a Baroque painter of the Flemish school. He followed the traditions of Ancient Greece and Rome and the great Renaissance painters, such as Michelangelo or Leonardo Da Vinci. His exuberant style emphasises dynamism, colour, and sensuality.
• Diego Velasquez, a court artist of Spanish King Philip IV, is considered one of the greatest exponents of Spanish painting and a great representative of the Baroque style.
• Francisco de Goya was one of the most controversial painters of his time. He was known for his original style. He is sometimes known as the pioneer of contemporary painting and a forerunner of the pictorial avant-gardes of the 20th century.

Modern and Contemporary Catalan Art at MNAC

Modern Catalan art is known for the originality of the brightest figures. Between them are the celebrated names such as Antonio Gaudi, Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Antonio Tapies, Ramón Casas, Santiago Rusiñol, Ricard Canals and more, some of which make part of a golden fund of world art.

The photography collection has more than 6,000 objects. The oldest works date from the 19th century and different movements and styles are covered, such as pictorialism, new objectivity, photojournalism, and neorealism.

Visiting the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

Choose between the self-guided or guided tour. If you go for an independent visit, the museum app, website, and plans will help you prepare. The collections are distributed between two floors: a cafe on the ground floor and a restaurant on the top.

If you decide to have lunch at the restaurant, book in advance. The restaurant has an excellent selection of dishes and a great city view. Sit down by the balcony, relax and enjoy your glass of wine.

Please note that touching the exhibits is forbidden, and the temperature can be pretty low in some exhibition halls, which helps to prevent the loss of colours and the deterioration of the original paintings.

How to Buy Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya Tickets

Buying tickets online in advance is always better for getting better deals and securing a hassle-free skip-the-line entrance.

Check our products and choose the option that suits you the best.

The guided tours are available for the groups and in the main languages.

You can choose between various options for your visit, such as

• A stroll through the Romanesque period (1 h 30 min)
• A stroll through Gothic (1 h 30 min)
• Medieval art (1 h 30 min)
• Modernism(s) (1 h 30 min)

MNAC Opening Hours and Visitor Information

Winter schedule: October to April, Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 am - 6:00 pm; Sunday and public holidays, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm

Summer schedule: May - September, Tuesday - Saturday, 10:00 am - 8:00 pm; Sunday and public holidays, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm Monday closed Closed: 1 January, 1 May, 25 December.

MNAC: What to Expect During Your Visit

The Best Time to Visit MNAC Barcelona

The best time to visit the museum is early in the morning or late in the afternoon. This is a perfect time to find a less crowded place with more time and tranquillity to explore the star exhibits.

How to Get to the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya

The National Museum of Art of Catalunya is a bit far from the city centre yet in a very tourist zone at the foot of Montjuic Hill. So, if you choose to stay close to the Plaza Espanya, you can walk up to the museum.

And if you are in the city centre, the best way is to take the metro.

A station is right under the hill, conveniently connected to the city by lines 1 and 3. If you come by car, park at the museum's parking lot. There are also spaces for disabled drivers.

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya Photos

Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya is the protagonist of various online pictures. There are nice shots of a palace dominating the city, with water flowing back at the foot of the building and a dome floating above the square blocks in the centre of Barcelona.