[1] It was founded on March 30, 1946, by the Peruvian historian, anthropologist and indigenist Luis E. Valcárcel.

The collection includes imagery from Cuzco, mates from Huanta and altarpieces from Ayacucho.

[2][3] It was designed in Neo-Inca style by architect Ricardo de Jaxa Malachowski.

[4] The museum's predecessor, the Institute of Peruvian Art, was created in 1931 by Decree Law No.

[6] The director of the institute was the painter José Sabogal and the person in charge of the drawn research area was Camilo Blas [es].