National Museum Cardiff facts for kids
| Amgueddfa Genedlaethol Caerdydd | |
Façade of the National Museum Cardiff
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| Established | 1912 |
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| Location | Cathays Park, Cardiff CF10 3NP, Wales |
| Visitors | 472,544 (2015) |
| Public transit access | Cathays  Cardiff Bus 27  |
The National Museum Cardiff is a super cool museum and art gallery located in Cardiff, Wales. It used to be called the National Museum of Wales. This museum is part of a bigger group called Amgueddfa Cymru – Museum Wales. The best part? It's free to enter, thanks to money from the Welsh Government! In early 2025, the museum had to close for a short time to fix some important things.
Contents
A Look Back: The Museum's History
The National Museum of Wales first started in 1905. It officially received its special royal charter in 1907. To help Cardiff get the museum, the city gave its own collection of items. This collection was known as the "Welsh Museum of Natural History, Archaeology and Art." It was officially handed over in 1912.
Before its own building, the Cardiff Museum shared space with the Cardiff Library. Work on a brand new building began in 1912. This building was in a special area called Cathays Park. However, because of the First World War, it didn't open until 1922. The official grand opening happened in 1927. The main architects who designed it were Arnold Dunbar Smith and Cecil Brewer.
Many amazing sculptures were created for the building. Sir W. Goscombe John helped plan these sculptures. They included groups like Prehistoric Period and Classic Period by Gilbert Bayes. Other sculptures showed themes like Learning, Mining, and Shipping. You can also see dragons and lions around the base of the dome!
What You Can See Today
The museum has many different collections. You can explore botany (plants), fine and applied art (paintings and crafts), geology (rocks and fossils), and zoology (animals). The Archaeology collection, which is about ancient history, moved to the St Fagans National Museum of History.
In 2011, a special area called the Clore Discovery Centre opened. This center lets you get hands-on with millions of items! These items are usually kept in storage. You can explore things like insects, fossils, and even Bronze Age weapons. If you're part of a school group or another group, you can book a visit to explore even more.
The museum has faced some challenges with funding. In early 2025, it had to close temporarily for important building repairs. This closure led to discussions about how much money is given to cultural buildings in Wales. The museum quickly reopened on February 7, 2025.
Re-examining History: Black Lives Matter
In 2020, there was a big discussion about statues and monuments. People started looking at historical figures and their past actions. At the National Museum Cardiff, there was a portrait of Sir Thomas Picton. He was a Welsh soldier who died in the Battle of Waterloo. However, his time as governor of Trinidad was very controversial. He was known for the mistreatment of people on the island.
In November 2021, the museum decided to remove Picton's portrait. They replaced it with a painting of a Welsh gardener. The museum also asked artists to create new works that explore Picton's story and legacy in a different way. This helps everyone think about history from different viewpoints.
The National Museum of Art
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The National Museum of Art opened in 2011. It has an amazing collection of Old Master paintings. These include works like The Virgin and Child between Saint Helena and St Francis by Amico Aspertini. You can also see The Poulterer's Shop by Frans Snyders. Since 2016, you can always see Rembrandt's famous 1657 painting, Portrait of Catharina Hooghsaet.
In 2019, a painting of the Madonna and Child with a Pomegranate was thought to be a copy. But after careful cleaning and research, it was confirmed to be from the studio of Sandro Botticelli! Parts of it were even painted by the master himself.
The museum also has beautiful landscape paintings. These include works by Claude and Nicolas Poussin. Poussin's paintings include The Funeral of Phocion and The Finding of Moses. These works helped inspire the Welsh painter Richard Wilson. He is often called "the father of British landscape painting."
There's a special gallery about British art from the 1700s. You can see a portrait of Sir Watkin Williams Wynn in Rome. There's also a portrait of his second wife by Sir Joshua Reynolds.
A very important part of the art collection comes from two sisters, Margaret and Gwendoline Davies. They were granddaughters of a rich industrialist named David Davies. They gave their amazing collection of French art to the museum in the 1950s and 1960s. This made Wales's National Gallery famous around the world!
Their collection includes many paintings by Honoré Daumier and Jean-François Millet. You can also see works by Claude Monet, including his Venetian scenes. There are even paintings from his Rouen Cathedral and Water Lilies series.
You can also find Post-Impressionism art here. This includes Van Gogh's painting Rain at Auvers. There's also Paul Cézanne's The François Zola Dam. This was the first painting by Cézanne to be shown in a British public collection. Two of the most famous works from the Davies Sisters' collection are La Parisienne by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and a bronze version of Rodin's famous sculpture, Kiss.
The art gallery also proudly displays works by famous Welsh artists. These include landscapes by Richard Wilson and Thomas Jones. You can see sculptures by John Gibson, who was Queen Victoria's favorite sculptor. There are also major paintings by Augustus John and his sister Gwen John. Augustus John's famous painting of Dylan Thomas is here too.
The museum also has a collection of art from the 20th century. This includes works by sculptors like Jacob Epstein and Eric Gill. You can also see paintings by Stanley Spencer and L. S. Lowry. Modern artists like Francis Bacon and Rachel Whiteread also have works on display. In 2009, the museum acquired Pablo Picasso's painting Nature morte au poron.
See also
In Spanish: Museo Nacional de Cardiff para niños
- Morgan-Botti lecture
- List of national galleries
