The Romanian Modern Art Gallery tells the story of Romanian art from the mid-nineteenth to the late twentieth century. Representative works by Theodor Aman, Nicolae Grigorescu, Ioan Andreescu, Theodor Pallady among others, illustrate connections with contemporary French painting while those of M.H. Maxy, Marcel Ianco, Victor Brauner trace the contribution of Romanian art to the European avant-garde of the 1920s and 1930s. Early sculptures by Brancusi reveal the master’s will to break away from academic tradition and find a way of his own. 

Inaugurated in 1978 as a Department of the National Museum of Art of Romania, the Art Collections Museum showcases artistic interests that prevailed in Romanian society from the early 20th century onward. Over 30 collections on permanent display incorporate a variety of art pieces and collectibles, ranging from Romanian and European fine and decorative arts to Oriental art. Donated over nearly a century by both collectors and artists, they bear witness to their owners’ taste and economic power, their leaning toward famous names or contemporary art, as well as to the artists’ particular interests, surroundings, and daily studio practice. Works by well-known Romanian painters such as Theodor Aman, Nicolae Grigorescu, Ioan Andreescu, Nicolae Tonitza, Gheorghe Petraşcu, Theodor Pallady, Lucian Grigorescu, Iosif Iser, Camil Ressu, Francisc Şirato, Alexandru Ciucurencu, Dimitrie Ghiaţă are exhibited alongside European and Japanese prints and drawings, French furniture, Oriental carpets, and folk icons from Transylvania. This unique museum is hosted by the former Romanit palace. The building, an example of modern Bucharest architecture, was recently restored and refurbished. Wherever possible, displays suggest the original layout and atmosphere of individual collections.