English: Located at 4, Chao Fa road, PhraNakorndistrict , the National Gallery is located in the area of the Front Palace (the residence of the Vice king) near the northern moat, now is the foot of PhraPinklao Bridge on Bangkok side. Initially, the Department of Fine Arts founded this museum so as to collect and exhibit works of arts, mainly visual arts, created by well-known Thai and foreign artists, and later to serve as a centre for researching and publicising knowledge about both traditional Thai and contemporary art. The museum was constructed on the grond of the former “Royal Thai Mint” during the reign of King Rama V, and designed by an Italian architect “Carlo Allegri”. This masonry structure features a triangular roof with the prominent front arch adorned with a bas-relief stucco work displaying a national emblem used during the reign of King Rama V. The arch itself was also encircled by crafted flora patterns. The museum with an open lawn at the centre is a long single-storey building which turns in a right angle to intersect one another in a square shape so visitors can walk through. On 22nd August, 1978, the Department of Fine Arts registered this place as a National Historic Site.