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The Ponce Museum of Art (Museo de Arte de Ponce) in Ponce, Puerto Rico, is one of the largest and most famous museums in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. It was founded by politician and philanthropist Luis A. Ferré, and it was officially inaugurated in December 28, 1965. The museum holds an impressive collection of over 3,000 pieces distributed among 14 galleries.
Museum History
The project of the museum officially began in 1956 when Luis A. Ferré traveled to Europe. There he bought copies of some masterpieces. Those first copies would encourage him to buy 71 paintings in an auction in New York. In 1959, he opened a museum in a house in Cristina Street in Ponce. Some of those original paintings are still in the museum.
Later, Ferré would obtain an ample terrain in the middle of one of the main avenues of the city. In April 23, 1964 the first stone was placed in the terrain and the construction of the museum began. It was finished in 1965 and officially inaugurated in December 28, 1965.
The building
The design of the building was made by renowned architect, Edward Durell Stone. One of the main features of the museum is its hexagonal galleries, which allow natural light to pour through its corners bringing a unique ilumination to them. That detail was an idea of Ferré.
The museum has a total of 14 galleries, two gardens, and an amphitheater. The main entrance with its bifurcated ladders is another of the main features of the museum.
The Museum
The museum has an impressive collection of over 3,000 pieces that range from the 14th to the 20th Century, Italian Baroque, British Pre-Raphaelite, Spanish Golden Age and contemporary Latin-American Art.
The main masterpiece of the museum is the "Flaming June", painted by Lord Frederick Leighton. Ferré bought this piece for $6,000 in London, and it was one of his favorites.
The museum has also housed several expositions of some of the best and most renowned artists of the world.