Silesian Museum of Fine Arts

[1] In the middle of the 19th century, plans were made to build a new museum, designed by the Berlin architect Otto Rathey.

The building was to resemble an ancient Greek temple; in front of the main entrance there was a portico with ten Ionic columns.

On 26 October 1901, an equestrian statue of Emperor Frederick III was unveiled in front of the main entrance.

[1] Just before the end of World War II, the exhibits were hidden for fear of destruction in 80 different places in Silesia.

[citation needed] The most valuable exhibits from the Wroclaw collection were transferred in 1946 to the National Museum in Warsaw, including Sandro Botticelli's painting Madonna with Child, John the Baptist and an Angel, Lucas Cranach the Elder's painting Adam and Eve, St. Luke Painting an Image of Mary, Pietà from Lubiaz, Polyptych of Annunciation with Unicorn, Gentile Bellini's Portrait of Lorenzo Giustiniani, and Beautiful Madonna of Wroclaw.