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Address Inside Govt Museum, Pantheon Street, Eg, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600008 Hours Open today · 10AM–5PMWednesday10AM–5PMThursday10AM–5PMFridayClosedSaturdayClosedSundayClosedMonday10AM–5PMTuesday10AM–5PMSuggest an edit Similar Government Museum - Chennai, Birla Planetarium - Chennai, Connemara Public Library, St Mary's Church - Chennai, Fort St George - India | ||
The National Art Gallery situated in Egmore, Chennai, is one of the oldest art galleries in India. Constructed with red stones sourced from Satyavedu in Andhra Pradesh, the Gallery was built in 1906 in Indo-Sarsenic architecture and houses paintings from Thanjavur, Rajasthan, Kangra and Deccan areas, as well as sandalwood sculptures. The Gallery has remained closed since 2002, as part of the structure suffered damage.
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History
The National Art Gallery was built during the celebration of Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee in Indo-Saracenic style, designed by architect Henry Irwin. The Gallery has been identified as a Heritage site by the CMDA.
As of 2002 the gallery has been closed for tourists, due to several building flaws and structural instability, which triggered severe criticism from art critics. However, several proposals for renovation are underway.
Features
The gallery contains several Mugul paintings and rare works of Raja Ravi Varma. It also has various Tanjore Paintings. Portraits of various British officers such as Lord Connemara and Lord William Bentinck are also present. The art gallery also included numerous miniature paintings depicting court and battle scenes.
Restoration
In 2013, the Gallery was set for a major face lift with Chief Minister Dr. J.Jayalalithaa allocating ₹ 110 million for repairs and forming an expert committee for its restoration.