National Museum of Decorative Arts, Buenos Aires Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
National Museum of Decorative Arts
Museo Nacional de Arte Decorativo

Palacio Errázuriz, seat of the museum
Established	1937; 88 years ago (1937)
Location	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Type	Art museum
Accreditation	Municipal museum
Key holdings	Palacio Errázuriz (1911)
Collections	Luix XV Art deco
Owner	Government of the City of Buenos Aires

The National Museum of Decorative Arts is an art museum in Recoleta, Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is a place where you can see beautiful art and objects. The museum is inside a grand old mansion called Palacio Errázuriz.

History of the Museum
The Mansion: A Grand Home
- Inside the Mansion
Museum Collection
Images for kids
See also

History of the Museum

The museum started because of a marriage in 1897. Matías Errazúriz and Josefina de Alvear, two important people from Argentina, got married.

In 1911, they asked a French architect named René Sergent to design a huge house for them. This house was for when Matías retired from his job as an ambassador. The house was built in a fancy style called Neoclassical. It was finished in 1916. For the next two years, the couple filled the palace with many old and beautiful art pieces.

Sadly, Josefina died in 1935. Matías decided to give the mansion to the Argentine government. In 1937, the National Museum of Decorative Arts opened its doors in this amazing building.

The Mansion: A Grand Home

The Argentine government bought the mansion and its art collection in 1937. The building was designed by French architect René Sergent in 1911. It was finished in 1917, even with problems from World War I.

Sergent worked with a team of experts to decorate the inside and the gardens. They brought materials like wood panels, mirrors, and marble from Europe. Many European artists helped with the decorations.

The outside of the building looks like French buildings from the 1700s. It has huge columns. The building has four main levels. The main floor has big arches that lead to the garden. The first floor had the family's private rooms. The top floor was for the servants.

Inside the Mansion

The gardens and the nearby Argentine Automobile Association

The museum has many amazing rooms to explore:

The Entrance Hall: This grand hall has walls and a ceiling that look like fancy stone. A luxurious staircase leads to the main floor. It has a beautiful Louis XV style with columns and arched ceilings. You can see art symbols like Music, Architecture, Sculpture, and Painting.

Antechamber: This room connects to four other rooms and the stairs. It is decorated in a Neoclassic style with polished oak wood panels.

The Great Hall: This is the biggest room in the mansion. It has a very high ceiling with special designs. The floor is made of different types of wood in a star pattern. Big windows, a large fireplace, and walls covered with tapestries make it feel like a grand English hall from the 1500s.

The Dining-room: This room was designed for big dinners and parties. It was inspired by the famous Palace of Versailles in France. It uses marble from Italy and France to create a rich, fancy look.

The Winter Garden: This room connects the dining room and the ballroom. It has a calm Louis XVI style with soft colors.

The Ball-room: This room shows the change from the very formal Baroque style to the softer Rococo style. It has many curved lines in its design. Light colors, shiny gold, and mirrors make the room feel bigger and brighter.

The Room of Madame: This was Mrs. Josefina de Alvear's room for receiving guests. It has comfortable chairs and tables in a Louis XVIII style. The painted wood panels remind visitors of the influence of Marie Antoinette. The chandeliers are inspired by the Grand Trianon at Versailles.

The Study of Mr. Matías de Errázuriz: This room was designed by a French decorator. It has carved oak panels and red velvet. Mr. Matías used this Neoclassic room for quiet thinking. He surrounded himself with 19th-century paintings and Asian art.

The first floor had the family's private rooms. Each family member had their own living room, bedroom, dressing room, and bathroom.

The Gallery of Tapestries goes around the Great Hall. Here you can see French and Flemish tapestries from the 1500s, 1600s, and 1700s. There is also old furniture and paintings.

The "Sert" room: This room was Matías Errázuriz Alvear's private space. It is named after the artist Josep Maria Sert, who decorated it in the Art Déco style. The walls, doors, and four paintings are all part of his design.

The rooms of Matías Errázuriz Alvear's son are now filled with beautiful furniture and objects from the time of Louis XVI and Napoleon I.

Room Zubov: This room used to be a family room. Today, it holds a collection of tiny paintings called miniatures. These miniatures are from Europe, dating from the 1500s to the 1800s.

Museum Collection

The museum has twelve exhibit halls and nine permanent collections. There are over 4,000 objects to see, including:

Paintings: Famous paintings include Jesus Bearing the Cross Uphill by El Greco, The Sacrifice of the Rose by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, and Portrait of Abbé Hurel by Édouard Manet.
Sculptures: You can see an Ancient Roman statue of Minerva, a marble relief called Adoration of the Magii by Cristoforo Mantegazza, and The Eternal Spring by Auguste Rodin.
East Asian Art: The museum has many Chinese vases and jade sculptures from the Qianlong era.
Other items include tapestries, porcelain, 18th-century furniture, and the largest public collection of miniature art in the Americas. Most of these antiques are from before 1800.

The museum also has special temporary exhibits. They often host concerts, classes, and workshops. You can also enjoy a snack at Café Croque Madame, which has tables in the beautiful gardens when the weather is nice. Since 1944, the Argentine Academy of Letters has also been located here.