Zachęta National Gallery of Art, Warsaw

The Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts was founded in Warsaw on December 13, 1860, by artists and art experts, with the aim of disseminating fine arts and supporting artists. Initially, it had 234 registered members, increasing to 1464 within a year.

Following a competition announced in 1894, Warsaw architect Stefan Szyller designed a new building for the Society in a neo-Renaissance style with classical elements. The portal features allegorical figures and sculptural works by Zygmunt Otto, and the architrave is engraved with the Latin word 'Artibus'.

Construction of the new building began in 1898. The front building was officially opened in December 1900, and the south wing was opened in 1903. Both openings and the building's extension were positively reviewed.

The front building of the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts was officially opened in December 1900, marking a significant development for the institution's facilities.

From 1939 to 1945, during the German occupation, the building was converted into the 'Haus der Deutschen Kultur' (House of German Culture) and used mainly for propaganda. The Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts was dissolved, and its assets were confiscated or sent to Germany.

Following heavy damage from artillery and bombs during the Warsaw Uprising, the Zachęta building required a full renovation at the end of the war. Traces suggested German units had intended to set the building on fire before their withdrawal.

After World War II, the Society for the Encouragement of Fine Arts was not reactivated. It was replaced by the Central Bureau for Art Exhibitions, founded in 1949 by the Ministry for Art and Culture, which began hosting exhibitions in 1951.

The Zachęta building was officially registered as a historical monument in 1965, recognizing its architectural and historical significance.

In 1982, reconstruction plans for the building were revived and executed by the Shop for Preservation of Monuments. From 1991 to 1993, the company Dom i Miasto supervised and executed further reconstruction, including extending staircases for direct access to exhibition halls.

Following the fall of the Iron Curtain, the Central Bureau for Art Exhibitions was closed on May 30, 1994, and transformed into the Zachęta State Gallery, under the directorship of Barbara Majewska.

In 2003, the Polish minister of culture, Waldemar Dąbrowski, renamed the gallery to Narodowa Galeria Sztuki (National Gallery of Art).

The permanent collection, initially starting with Józef Simmler's 'Death of Barbara Radziwiłł', now comprises 3600 objects. It focuses on 20th-century and contemporary Polish artists, with works often integrated into temporary shows or loaned out.

One of the exhibition halls is named after Gabriel Narutowicz, the first president of the Second Polish Republic, who was assassinated at Zachęta on December 16, 1922, by Eligiusz Niewiadomski.

The Kordegarda Gallery was founded in 1956 as a branch of Zachęta, located on Krakowskie Przedmieście in Warsaw. It served as an additional exhibition space with a partially independent exhibition program.

In 2010, the Kordegarda Gallery moved to Gałczynskiego street, off Nowy Świat. While still directed by Zachęta, it gained more independence and focused on young artists.

In December 2000, politician Witold Tomczak damaged Maurizio Cattelan's sculpture 'La Nona Ora', leading to public scandal and the dismissal of director Anda Rottenberg, sparking controversy related to religious sentiment and national origin.