Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (National Museum of Fine Arts) is a top visited sight in Buenos Aires. Just walking distance from the Recoleta Cemetery, it contains a large collection of Argentinian fine art, as well a healthy collection of Italian, French, Spanish, and other European painters.

We lucked out in that my son was asleep after we arrived at the museum. My daughter was on her way out. I drugged her with my phone for the first few rooms until she too finally fell asleep, leaving my husband and I to enjoy the museum.

How my children enjoyed the museum

We did not do an audio guide, so I honestly didn’t know what to look for or see at the museum. But for me, I’m okay with that. I like a piece of art if it strikes a powerful emotion in me, and there were several pieces that did just that.

For the Argentinian paintings, one of my favorites was the piece titled “Without Bread or Work“. Something about the mother nursing her child and the look of concern on the parents face. Things change when you are a parent, and years stand between us but I always have that look on my face.

In the European side, two pieces really stood out to me. One was the painting “The First Mourning“. The second was a statue of that same scene. Again, I think it’s seeing the youth in the deceased and the pain and anguish in the mother and father. I think the artists did an amazing job of capturing those expressions, the body language, and the raw emotion everyone feels in that moment.

The First Mourning

A statue with a similar theme*

Other paintings caught my eye, but these were the pieces I wanted to call out. After about 1.5 hours walking around the museum, we decided to head out and try and find a beer while the kids were still asleep. Of course, they thwarted our plans again, but that’s a story for another day…

Other amazing pieces you can see on display*

* Starred photos taken by Atma Photography

• Timings:
• Tuesday – Friday: 12:30 PM – 8:30 PM
• Saturday – Sunday: 9:30 AM – 8:30 PM
• Fees: Free