Museo de Arte de Ponce

Museo de Arte de Ponce Review

This building—designed by Edward Durrell Stone, who also designed the original Museum of Modern Art in New York City and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.—is easily identified by the hexagonal galleries on the second story. The museum has one of the best art collections in Latin America, which is why residents of San Juan frequently make the trip down to Ponce. The 3,000-piece collection includes works by famous Puerto Rican artists such as Francisco Oller, represented by a lovely landscape called Hacienda Aurora. There are plenty of European works on display as well, including paintings by Peter Paul Rubens and Thomas Gainsborough. The highlight of the European collection is the Pre-Raphaelite paintings, particularly the mesmerizing Flaming June, by Frederick Leighton, which has become the museum's unofficial symbol. You can take a break in the museum's three sculpture gardens, or relax in Restaurant Al Sur. Watch for special exhibits, such as a recent one examining the work of video artists.