Museum of Art from Constanța is a county museum established based on the collection of paintings and sculptures originated from the Art Gallery of Constanţa City Hall, enriched with works transferred from the National Museum of Art and through purchases and donations made by Marius Bunescu, Ion Jalea, Boris Caragea.
Stated as the second institution of its kind from Romania, after the Bucharest Museum of Art, the museum from Constanţa is housed inside a building with a significant history for the seashore community. The impressive building that today houses collections of the Museum of Art was the first school built in Constanţa. The educational institution was built between 1891 – 1893 upon the initiative of the mayor from that time, who wanted to change the aspect of the city by several impressive buildings. The school was named “Prince Ferdinand and Princess Maria” and housed two individual and totally separate educational institutions: one for boys and one for girls.
The first school from Constanţa worked in this building until 1985, when the building was converted into an annex of the Art Museum which exists in Constanţa for several decades, but without a permanent office. It should be noted that the Art Museum from the seashore had a rich heritage, even before the institution was moved to the building of the former school. An important moment in the history of the Art Museum from Constanţa took place during 1990, when the works from the protocol villa of Nicolae Ceauşescu from Neptun were donated to the institution. At that time the museum took possession of paintings and sculptures of some famous Romanian artists.
Dedicated to painting, sculpture and graphics, the museum from Constanţa currently holds a collection of over 7400 works chronologically arranged, illustrating exemplarily the Romanian art. The museum galleries includes all major Romanian artists with works of art of rare beauty.
The first building, dated 1895, has elements of neoclassical exterior decoration, being stated historical monument. The other, modern was built between 1980-1982.
In the first building, on the ground floor, are highlighted reference works signed by Theodor Aman, Nicolae Grigorescu, Ioan Andreescu, Stefan Luchian. The exhibition from the ground floor of the museum is filled with works signed by great sculptors of that era: Ioan Georgescu, Ştefan Ionescu Valbudea, Frederic Storck, Dimitrie Paciurea.
On the first floor, the cyma of large Pallady hall supports no less than 35 works: still lifes, nudes and landscapes inspired by the seaside in Constanţa. Here can also be found small portraits and compositions signed by Ion Jalea, Cornel Medrea and other sculptors.
The second floor presents amply “Group of the 4” reference composition of arts from the years 1924-1933: Nicolae Tonitza, Ştefan Dumitrescu, Francisc Şirato and the sculptor Oscar Han.
In the second building, one can find works signed by Camil Ressu, Sabin Popp, Ion Theodorescu Sion etc.
In other halls are present Vasile Popescu, Dimitrie Ghiaţă, Ion Ţuculescu, Lucian Grigorescu. Some works due to Corneliu Mihãilescu, M.H.Maxy, Magdalena Rãdulescu, Marcel Iancu, connect with contemporary art of Ion Musceleanu, Spiru Chintilã, Ion Pacea, Ion Sălişteanu.
