Familiarize yourself with nearly 300 hundred years’ worth of Baltic and Latvian Art at the Latvian National Museum of Art (LNMA). The city's premier arts venue encompasses five separate buildings with nearly 100,000 works of art between them.
The LNMA’s main building was designed by German architect Wilhelm Neumann in 1905. It is reputed to be the first building in the Baltics constructed specifically as a museum. Admire the impressive façade, designed in Baroque and Classicist styles.
Browse through the museum’s permanent and temporary collections. The rich repository features the work of more than 600 artists, including such respected names as Gustavs Klucis, Nicholas Roerich, Gerhard von Rosen and Kārlis Hūns. Some of the exhibitions present works by artists at every stage of their career, from student beginnings to the final years of creativity. Study the Latvian sculpture collection with pieces from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Examine works from the museum’s graphic art collection, which includes watercolors, pastels, engravings and lithographs.
Be sure to see the LNMA’s four other affiliated museums. The Arsenāls Exhibition Hall is dedicated to modern and contemporary Latvian artists, while works by international artists can be found at the Riga Bourse Art Museum.
Explore the pictures and painted porcelains by two of the country’s most important artists at the eponymous Museum of Romans Suta and Aleksandra Beļcova. Save time for the textile, ceramics, glass work and woodworking exhibitions at the Museum of Decorative Arts and Design. There is also an exhibition of leather art from the 1920s to the present day. It includes wall decorations, book bindings and folders.
The main building of the Latvian National Museum of Art is located in the Park and Boulevard Circle area of Riga. All five museums are open Tuesday through Sunday. They are closed on public holidays. The Museum of Romans Suta and Aleksandra Beļcova is also closed on Sundays. Various admission fees apply for each building. Guided tours are available in several languages, including English, for an additional fee. Visit the museum’s official website for up-to-date information.
