Editing National Gallery of Victoria (section)

==History==
===19th century===
[[File:State Library of Victoria Lithograph 1860.jpg|thumb|[[Nicholas Chevalier]]'s unrealised 1860 vision for the National Gallery next to the State Library building]]

In 1850, the [[Port Phillip District]] of [[New South Wales]] was granted separation, officially becoming the colony of [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]] on 1 July 1851. In the wake of [[Victorian gold rush|a gold rush]] the following month, Victoria emerged as Australia's richest colony, and [[Melbourne]], its capital, Australia's largest and wealthiest city. With Melbourne's rapid growth came calls for the establishment of a public art gallery, and in 1859, the [[Government of Victoria]] pledged £2000 for the acquisition of plaster casts of sculpture.<ref>Mansfield, Elizabeth. ''Art History and Its Institutions: Foundations of a Discipline''. Psychology Press, 2002. p. 105</ref> These works were displayed in the Museum of Art, opened by Governor [[Sir Henry Barkly]] in May 1861 on the lower floor of the south wing of the public Library (now the [[State Library of Victoria]]) on [[Swanston Street]].<ref name="History of State Library">[The History of the State Library of Victoria http://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/slvhistory/museumgallerypro {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210831062749/https://guides.slv.vic.gov.au/slvhistory/museumgallerypro |date=31 August 2021 }}]</ref> Further money was set aside in the early 1860s for the purchase of original paintings by British and Victorian artists. These works were first displayed in December 1864 in the newly opened Picture Gallery, which remained under the curatorial administration of the Public Library until 1882.<ref>Lane, Terence. ''Nineteenth-century Australian Art in the National Gallery of Victoria''. National Gallery of Victoria, 2003. pp. 13–14.</ref><ref>McCulloch, Alan. ''The Encyclopedia of Australian Art''. University of Hawaii Press, 1994. p. 815</ref> Grand designs for a building fronting [[Lonsdale Street|Lonsdale]] and Swanston streets were drawn by [[Nicholas Chevalier]] in 1860 and Frederick Grosse in 1865, featuring an enormous and elaborate library and gallery, but these visions were never realised.

[[File:Opening of the new fine arts gallery NGV 1875.jpg|thumb|Opening of the McArthur Gallery in 1875, now home to the State Library of Victoria's painting collection]]
On 24 May 1874, the first purpose-built gallery, known as the McArthur Gallery, opened in the McArthur room of the State Library, and the following year, the Museum of Art was renamed the National Gallery of Victoria.<ref name="History of State Library" /> The McArthur Gallery was only ever intended as a temporary home until the much grander vision was to be realised.<ref>State Library of Victoria Complex. 328 Swanston Street, Melbourne Conservation Management Plan. Lovell Chen</ref> However such an edifice did not eventuate and the complex was instead developed incrementally over several decades.

The [[National Gallery of Victoria Art School]], associated with the gallery, was founded in 1867 and remained the leading centre for academic art training in Australia until about 1910.<ref>{{cite book |last=McCulloch |first=Alan |author2=Susan McCulloch |year=1994 |title=The Encyclopedia of Australian Art |publisher=Allen & Unwin |isbn=1-86373-315-9 |page=864 (Appendix 8)}}</ref> The School's graduates went on to become some of Australia's most significant artists. This later became the VCA (Victorian College of the Arts), which was bought by the [[University of Melbourne]] in 2007 after it went bankrupt.

In 1887, the Buvelot Gallery (later Swinburne Hall) was opened, along with the Painting School studios. In 1892, two more galleries were added: Stawell (now Cowen) and La Trobe.<ref name="History of State Library" />

In 1888, the gallery purchased [[Lawrence Alma-Tadema]]'s 1871 painting ''The Vintage Festival'' for £4000, its most expensive acquisition of the 19th century.

===20th century===
[[File:Great Hall NGV 2014.jpg|thumb|The Great Hall ceiling, the world's largest [[stained-glass]] ceiling, designed by Melbourne artist [[Leonard French]]<ref>[[Shmith, Michael]]. [http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/29/1070081590203.html?from=storyrhs "Raising the roof with a glass ceiling"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170624205402/http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/11/29/1070081590203.html?from=storyrhs |date=24 June 2017 }}, ''[[The Age]]''. Retrieved 2 December 2012.</ref>]]
The gallery's collection was built from both gifts of works of art and monetary donations. The most significant, the [[Felton Bequest]], was established by the will of [[Alfred Felton]] and from 1904, has been used to purchase over 15,000 works of art.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngv-media?sq_content_src=%2BdXJsPWh0dHAlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cubmd2LnZpYy5nb3YuYXUlMkZtZWRpYS1hcHAlMkZtZWRpYUtpdEFydGljbGVzJTJGMTY3JTJGZGlzcGxheSZhbGw9MQ%3D%3D |title=NGV Media &#124; Welcome to NGV Media |publisher=ngv.vic.gov.au |access-date=2013-08-15}}{{dead link|date=February 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Since the Felton Bequest, the gallery had long held plans to build a permanent facility; however, it was not until 1943 that the State Government chose a site, Wirth's Park, just south of the [[Yarra River]].<ref name="VHR">National Gallery of Victoria – Victorian Heritage Register</ref> £3 million was put forward in February 1960 and Roy Grounds was announced as the architect.<ref>"&thinsp;'Democratic' Art Gallery Planned". ''[[The Canberra Times]]''. 27 February 1960</ref>

In 1959, the commission to design a new gallery was awarded to the architectural firm Grounds Romberg Boyd. In 1962, [[Roy Grounds]] split from his partners [[Frederick Romberg]] and [[Robin Boyd (architect)|Robin Boyd]], retained the commission, and designed the gallery at 180 [[St Kilda Road]] (now known as NGV International). The new bluestone clad building was completed in December 1967<ref>{{cite web |last=Green |first=Louise McO. |url=http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvwa/history.html |title=NGV Women's Association History |publisher=National Gallery of Victoria |access-date=2007-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070830201532/http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/ngvwa/history.html <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date=30 August 2007}}</ref> and Victorian premier [[Henry Bolte]] officially opened it on 20 August 1968.<ref>The Canberra Times. Wed 21 Aug 1968. pg 3</ref> One of the features of the building is the [[Leonard French]] stained glass ceiling, one of the world's largest pieces of suspended stained glass, which casts colourful light on the floor below.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/is-this-melbournes-favourite-ceiling-50-years-on-were-still-looking-up-at-ngv-20180813-h13vu3.html |title=Is this Melbourne's favourite ceiling? 50 years on, we're still looking up at NGV |last=Stephens |first=Andrew |date=2018-08-17 |website=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=2019-08-02 |archive-date=24 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124154433/https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/art-and-design/is-this-melbournes-favourite-ceiling-50-years-on-were-still-looking-up-at-ngv-20180813-h13vu3.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The water-wall entrance is another well-known feature of the building.

In 1997, redevelopment of the building was proposed, with [[Mario Bellini]] chosen as architect and an estimated project cost of $161.9 million. The design was extensive, creating all new galleries leaving only the exterior, the central courtyard and Great Hall intact.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.majorprojects.vic.gov.au/project/national-gallery-victoria/ |title=The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) Redevelopment |access-date=26 February 2018 |archive-date=27 February 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180227205725/http://www.majorprojects.vic.gov.au/project/national-gallery-victoria/ |url-status=dead}}</ref> The plans included doing away with the water wall, but following public protests organised by the [[National Trust of Australia (Victoria)|National Trust of Victoria]], the design was altered to include a new one slightly forward of the original.<ref name=Waterwall>{{Cite news|url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/waterwall-at-melbournes-ngv-20130116-2cti1.html |title=Waterwall at Melbourne's NGV |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]|access-date=2019-10-24 |archive-date=25 November 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125231137/https://www.smh.com.au/national/waterwall-at-melbournes-ngv-20130116-2cti1.html |url-status=live}}</ref> During the redevelopment, many works were moved to a temporary external annex known as 'NGV on Russell', at the State Library with its entrance on [[Russell Street, Melbourne|Russell Street]].<ref name="History of State Library" />

===21st century===
[[File:Ian Potter Centre NGV Australia.jpg|thumb|The [[Federation Square]] Atrium leads to the [[Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia|Ian Potter Centre]], which houses NGV Australia.]]
A major fundraising drive was launched on 10 October 2000 to redevelop the ageing St Kilda Road building and although the state government committed the majority of the funds, private donations were sought in addition to federal funding. The drive achieved its aim and secured $15 million from the [[Ian Potter]] Foundation on 11 July 2000, $3 million from [[Loti Smorgon]], $2 million from the Clemenger Foundation, and $1 million each from [[James Fairfax]] and the [[Pratt Foundation]].<ref>National Gallery of Victoria, [http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ngv_corp_annualreport_2000_01.pdf Annual Report 2000–2001] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330124551/https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ngv_corp_annualreport_2000_01.pdf |date=30 March 2019 }}</ref>

NGV on Russell closed on 30 June 2002<ref name="History of State Library" /> to make way for the staged opening of the new St Kilda Road gallery. It was officially opened by premier [[Steve Bracks]] on 4 December 2003.<ref>National Gallery of Victoria [http://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ngv_corp_annualreport_2003_04.pdf Annual Report 2003–2004] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330124037/https://www.ngv.vic.gov.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/ngv_corp_annualreport_2003_04.pdf |date=30 March 2019 }}</ref>

The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia in [[Federation Square]] was designed by [[Lab Architecture Studio]] to house the NGV's [[Australian art]] collection. It opened in 2002. As such, the NGV's collection is now housed in two separate buildings, with Grounds' building renamed NGV International.