The National Museum of San Carlos occupies the 18^th Century house which Doña María Josefa de Pinillos gave as a gift to his son, the Count of Buenavista. It was constructed by the celebrated architect from Valencia Manuel Tolsá, who was also in charge of other important projects like the conclusion of the Metropolitan Cathedral, the Mining Palace and the ‘el Caballito’ statue, among others.

This building is of neoclassical style and stands out for its sobriety and monumentality. A remarkable element is its elliptical central patio, unique among the architecture of the city.

The Museum of San Carlos opened in 1968 housing an important collection of European art, which had once belonged to the Gallery of the San Carlos Academy, the first museum of art in the American continent. This collection of paintings, the first in America, was sponsored by the authorities and by donations from eminent characters to facilitate the students’ learning process. After Mexico’s Independence, the collection increased with private donations and purchases by the Mexican government.

Within the rich collection of the museum, we can find gothic paintings of 13^th and 14^th Century Spain, as well as paintings from the Renaissance and Italian Mannerism from which works by Tintoretto stand out, Dutch art of the 13^th Century, works by Francisco de Zubarán, French paintings of the 19^th Century and Spanish ‘costumbrismo’ paintings with works by Joaquín Sorolla, among others.

This museum also presents several temporary exhibitions with collections belonging to some of the best art museums specialized in painting.

For more information visit the museum’s webpage:

http://www.mnsancarlos.inba.gob.mx