Located in the central business district of Johannesburg in Joubert Park, Johannesburg Art Gallery is a popular tourist attraction where young and old, local or tourist can spend some time immersed in the beauty of both contemporary and historical works of art. Housed in a magnificent building that was designed by Edward Lutyens, the art gallery is made up of 15 different exhibition halls and a number of sculpture gardens.
Visitors to the museum can meander through the different halls viewing art collections ranging from 17th century Dutch paintings including drawings and etchings by Rembrandt van Rijn. There is also a large contemporary collection of both local and international 20th century art and the print cabinet contains works reaching as far back as the 15th century all the way to present day.
Art on display
Home to over 9 000 artworks, the largest of the collections is the contemporary South African art collection that is made up of installations, new media and digital pieces, paintings, prints, ceramics, photographs and sculptures. Some of the most noteworthy pieces are by well-known artists such as Robin Rhode, Jane Alexander and William Kentridge.
Other notable artists with work in display include the French Impressions, the Pre-Raphaelites and more modern artists such as Pablo Picasso, Donald Judd, James Rosenquist and Andy Warhol. Of great cultural and historical significance, the museum also displays a number of important southern African traditional art and artefacts that include the Brenthurst Collection and the Jacques collection of headrests.
