national gallery of art

MiddleEastFan

Very interesting, don't miss the upstairs permanent collection with socialist realism as well as some nice pre-war paintings

SingleRed

The propaganda art was quite interesting. I wish there had been a gift shop selling postcards of the works on display, since photography is not permitted.

RebeccaForster

While we enjoyed the display downstairs, the upstairs where the communist era art is was stunning. Thank goodness those amazing examples of propagandist art were saved. I was awestruck on so many levels - talent of the artists, subject matter, the instantaneous understanding of the political climate of the time - but really appreciated the english translations as to the histories of some of the paintings themselves. Don't miss this one.

huntinginthejungle

The Gallery is a big impressive Communist building and seems to only have a small art collection. I have been three times in three months. However, I found the works interesting especially the communist era. Downstairs is a gallery that has changing artists shows.

zhuangyuan

Located at center. Entrance is free. There are many arts in communism regime. It is powerful. it is important to review the country's history.

UncleBean

I was totally awestruck when walking around this museum. The collection of Socialist Realism paintings is one of the best I've ever seen and includes several pieces that were blacklisted under the former regime. The space is open and light, and the sensitive hanging allows you to enjoy the large pieces from a reasonable distance so that the sheer scale of these paintings can be appreciated. Well worth a visit if in Tirana.

Klaus_Aarhus_Denmark

If you like socialist realism, this is the place to go. If you do not like socialist realism go there anyway! Some of it is in fact good, and you will also see paintings that caused the painter to be criminalized. They were preparing a section with icons, but in March 2014 we could not see it.

albalady28

This museum will leave you wanting to learn more. The paintings from Socialist Realism are just amazing. You can feel the spirit of the time walking through this Art Gallery.

tlaz

I did not expect a Boston Museum of Fine Arts. What I did find was a feeble attempt to display art works of local artists which, tomy untrained eye, were amateurish. I guess you have to keep in mind that under communist leadership the arts were stifled andwhen there was art it had to measure up to socialist expectations. If not, then the creator went to prison. What I didfind fascinating were the large bronze statues of communist officials located under cover to the rear of the museum next to a wrecked Saab car and a pile of trash.The museum did not know what to do with them so parked them to the rear. A guide who was leading a German tour said that the statue of Envier Hoxha,Albania's great communist leader was sent to Germany where it was melted down for whatever reason. The museum was a disappointment except for the statues.

per_akilin

There is not a more appropriate institution to present Albania's recent and modern history during communism

JacquiAir

There was a really good section on Social Realism but the contemporary art selection was disappointing. Good value at 200 Lek. This is a good place to start a walk down Rruga Murat Toptaki.

Elenas42

I enjoied this gallery, most of the paints are "modern" of the Stalin period, very colourful and most of them are really huge. Very nice!

780DenisO

National Gallery of Figurative Arts is one of the best albanian attractions on offer. I have been there many times alone or with a couple of friends and the quality of the art shown down stairs and upstairs is excellent. I agree with many visitors opinions that the Communist Art is the best they have.If you really want to understant the history of this country, visit the Gallery of Arts to have a crash course history lesson in less then 2 hours.

nikosp601

I had the privilege to visit this gallery many times and also being walked through with the help of its director. It is a small collection of Albanian painting mainly, of the last 150 years. Of course the period of communist painting is the most eye catching, due to its vivid colors and ebullient themes. But you should give a chance to the pre-communist era too. Don't miss the Motra Tone painting of Kole Idromeno which holds a very dear place in many Albanians hearts as a picture of national pride and as a point of reference for the start of modernity in Albanian art.

TamiSmith

The National Arts Gallery is ideally located a few minutes’ walk south of Skanderbeg Square, on Bulevardi Deshmoret e Kombit. We were told that “the gallery has 4,000 works of art by Albanian and foreign authors, spanning seven centuries of Albanian cultural heritage,” but our aim was more modest.After visiting a small Museum of Communism in Prauge in 2009 we were intrigued by the prospect of viewing a Social Realizm exhibit in Tirana.The pavilion of Social Realizm in the gallery contains paintings devoted to this subject. These paintings were used as a propaganda tool of the Albanian dictatorship to idealize the positive aspects of the regime. Paintings depict workers, villagers, teens and children all happy, doing their daily chores, working the land and factories. I was impressed with a stone statue in the center of a young woman, hair blowing in the wind, hand raised in the air holding a harvesting equipment. Also impressive were pictures of muscular men holding working tools in one hand and military weapons in the other, ready to defend the “mother-land”. To non-communists this is an obvious case of “brain-washing”.