Museums are attractions that tell the most detailed and atmospheric story of the city or country you are visiting. When visiting Ottawa, be sure to visit the National Gallery of Canada: it features works of art by famous artists and sculptors, striking architecture, and provides an unforgettable experience of the neighbourhood. Take at least 2 hours to walk slowly through the exhibition halls and enjoy all the features of the gallery. Here you can have a delicious lunch for a small fee.
Construction history
- 1880 - foundation of the gallery by the governor of the country
- 1882 - Opening of the first exhibition at Parliament
- 1911 - moving to the Victoria Museum
- 1915 - another move due to a fire in Parliament that caused the gallery to leave the Victoria Museum building
- From 1915 to 1982 - many tours of Ottawa
- 1982 - decision to build a separate building for the gallery
- 1988 - opening of the new building.
Architectural uniqueness
The building was designed and constructed by architect Moshe Safdie: he went to great lengths to create a unique and impressive facility. Canadians and tourists describe the museum in the following words: sacred, unusual, majestic, intimate, magnificent.
The entrance and the main building are connected by a colonnade resembling part of a cathedral: already here, visitors to the museum gasp with delight. The building rises 43 meters, has an area of 12,400 square meters, the main materials are granite and glass. The gallery is filled with light and warmth, fresh air and a sense of beauty.
Feature of the gallery
The building is divided into 6 exhibitions and displays, and a group tour costs $7 Canadian per person:
- Canadian Art. Here you'll see works by famous Canadian artists, and not just them: there are exhibits collected from the early 18th century to the present day - works by Thomson and Colville, famous landscape painters, and contemporary paintings. Among the exhibits are works of Aboriginal and Native American art.
- Inuit Gallery. It contains works by indigenous natives of the north, among which the white stone animal sculptures deserve special attention.
- Modern Art. The hall will delight you with contemporary works: fabric canvases, video installations. It contains works of art by artists from different countries.
- Asian Art. The collection will amaze you with sculptures, paintings and other works of Chinese and Tibetans: sculptures created in the first century B.C. are worth special attention.
- European art. The gallery contains paintings by great artists from the Middle Ages to the 20th century: Rubens, Gauguin, Monet, Pissarro and dozens of others.
- Graphic collection of Europe and America. The room features unique graphic and print works of past centuries and our time.
Other features of the museum
The exhibit hall isn't the only marvel of the museum: landscaping delights tourists all around, and a statue in the shape of a spider, cast in marble, steel, and bronze, adorns the front entrance. You can relax in two glazed rooms: one with a decorative fountain and the other in the conservatory, enjoying a panoramic view of the Ottawa Parliament. Lunch in the restaurant's gallery for two will cost about $15 Canadian - the restaurant is located on the first floor.
Interesting Facts
- Locals call the temple a "Temple of Art."
- The cost of building the museum in 1982 was 120 million Canadian dollars.
- Several times a day you can listen to a free story about a particular exhibit in the gallery.
The object belongs to museums.
