Tartu Art Museum
Estonian art museum in the leaning 1793 Barclay House on Tartu's Town Hall Square.
Tartu Art Museum occupies the so-called leaning house on the corner of Town Hall Square, built in 1793 for the family of Barclay de Tolly. One side of the house rests on the medieval town wall and the other on soft ground near the Emajõgi river, so the building has settled unevenly and its facade tilts visibly. The museum itself was founded in 1940 and moved into the house in 1988, since when the lopsided rooms have become one of the best-known images of the city.
The collection covers Estonian art from the early nineteenth century onwards, with particular strength in graphic art, drawings and painting, and includes works by Tartu-based artists and the Pallas art school circle. Rather than a fixed hang, the museum runs a rotating programme of temporary exhibitions across its floors, mixing historical surveys with contemporary Estonian and international projects. It also runs a project space, education programmes and talks, and publishes research on the collection.
Highlights
- The leaning Barclay House, built in 1793 on the medieval town wall
- Collection of Estonian painting, drawing and graphic art
- Rotating temporary exhibitions across three floors
- Project space for smaller and experimental displays
