National Art Gallery, Chennai

The National Art Gallery in Chennai is a heritage art gallery located within the Government Museum complex on Pantheon Road in Egmore, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Housed in a distinctive Indo-Saracenic building of red sandstone designed by Henry Irwin and opened in 1907, it is noted for its collection of traditional and modern Indian paintings, including works by Raja Ravi Varma, Tanjore and Rajput miniatures, and Mughal and Deccani schools, representing a key cultural institution in South India.

Visitors can expect a historic red sandstone building in Indo-Saracenic style with arched verandas, domes and ornate detailing, situated inside the Government Museum campus in Egmore. Inside, galleries display Indian paintings from 11th century to modern times, including Tanjore paintings, Rajput and Mughal miniatures, Deccani works and paintings by Raja Ravi Varma. The visit involves walking through well-lit exhibition halls with labelled artworks, surrounded by the museum complex gardens and heritage structures.

Built as the Victoria Memorial Hall and designed by architect Henry Irwin in Indo-Saracenic style, constructed between 1906 and 1909 and inaugurated in 1907. Originally intended to commemorate Queen Victoria, it was later converted into the National Art Gallery. It forms part of the Government Museum, Chennai, the second oldest museum in India after the Indian Museum, Kolkata, and is a protected heritage building noted for its architectural and institutional history.

Houses an important collection of Indian art spanning traditional Tanjore, Rajput, Mughal and Deccani schools to modern works, including paintings by Raja Ravi Varma. Serves as a major centre for art education and cultural heritage in Tamil Nadu, reflecting South Indian artistic traditions and pan-Indian painting styles within the Government Museum complex.