Art Gallery of New South Wales

Art Gallery of New South Wales

The Art Gallery of New South Wales (Art Gallery of New South Wales) is located near Circular Quay in Sydney, Australia, just a 15-minute walk from the Sydney Opera House. Established in 1874, it is the fourth largest art gallery in Australia. The gallery mainly exhibits artworks from various periods of Australia, as well as pieces from Europe and Asia. Each year, three of Australia’s most important art awards are judged here, and the winning works are also displayed here.

The Art Gallery of New South Wales is not very tall, with one above-ground floor designed in a neoclassical architectural style, while the other four floors are underground. The exterior walls of the gallery are entirely clad in light orange stone. The entrance features a prominent portico, reminiscent of ancient Roman temples. The façade is punctuated by long, narrow rectangular windows that run vertically between the columns, with window frames and lintels crafted in typical Renaissance-style ornamentation. Unlike the classical exterior, the interior floor is made of light-colored marble, and the large exhibition halls are free of any superfluous decoration. Paintings hang on the plain white walls, while soft beams of light from ceiling spotlights provide ideal illumination for the artworks.

The first floor of the gallery showcases traditional and contemporary art of Australia’s Indigenous peoples, housing the country’s most extensive collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artworks. The third floor is dedicated to Asian and Oceanian art, featuring a significant proportion of sculptures, ceramics, and paintings from China, India, and Japan. The main entrance to the gallery is on the fourth floor. Upon entering the bright lobby, visitors will find 19th-century European and Australian art exhibitions on one side, and 20th-century Australian art exhibitions on the other. The fifth floor houses the photography gallery.

Art Gallery of New South Wales

Reason to visit: One of Australia’s most renowned art galleries

Continent where the attraction is located: Oceania

Country/region where the attraction is located: Australia

State/province where the attraction is located: New South Wales

City where the attraction is located: Sydney