This monolithic 1930s edifice hosts three permanent exhibitions: Polish paintings from the 1890s till the present day, a treasure trove of applied art, and arms and armor through the ages. It’s best to focus on your passions – whether you’re into historic costumes from the 17th-century Sarmatist period, when Polish noblemen wore Iranian-style kontusz (long robes) and scimitars; elaborately carved, mother-of-pearl-inlaid cabinets and amber jewelry boxes; or geometric abstraction pieces by Kandinsky and Malevich.
There are several stained-glass designs (including the ones for Wawel Cathedral) by Stanisław Wyspiański, and an impressive selection of paintings by Witkacy (Stanisław Ignacy Witkiewicz). Jacek Malczewski and Olga Boznańska are also well represented. Of the postwar artists, take particular note of the works by Tadeusz Kantor, Jerzy Nowosielski and Władysław Hasior.
