Location:

It is located in Giza, overlooking the Nile .

who built it?

Mohamed Mahmoud Khalil was one of the public figures who significantly affected the fine arts movement during the second quarter of the 20 th century .His palace was constructed in Giza, around 1920, on the French style (Ardico), which was well known in France at that time.

Why was it built?

Mr. Khalil and Prince Youssef Kamal co-established the Society of Fine Arts Lovers, and Mr. Khalil became the chairman of the society from 1942 to 1952. The palace was the residence of Mohammed Khalil?s family and the seat of his invaluable art collection until 1960. In 1960 , his wife died after donating the palace and its contents of masterpieces and rare artifacts to the State to become a museum, carrying the name of Mahmoud Mohamed Khalil and his wife .

Explanation:

The eastern side of the palace, overlooking the Nile , carries some features of the (Arnoveau) Style that appeared in France in 1875, as evident from the metal and glass skeleton above the entrance of the palace. The building?s western side bears the features of the neo-classic style, a blend of different ornaments. The huge mullioned window at the north side is particularly impressive. Visitors standing on the first and second floors can see the window, which is above the inner stairs and bears the signature of French artist Lucien Mette (Paris-1970).The surface area of the palace is 1400 squared meters, and the palace has four levels.

The museum?s assets include masterpieces of great artists who extensively contributed to the movements of fine art in Europe in general and France in particular in the 19th century. However, the majority of the museum?s 208 works feature the impressionist school, which laid the ground for the fine art movement in the 20th century. The great artists represented among the assets of Mohammed Mahmoud Khalil and his Wife Museum include Paul Gauguin, Auguste Renoir, Vincent van Gogh, Claude Monet, John Jongkind and Charles Francois Daubigny. The museum?s assets also include masterpieces of oriental artists such as Eugene Fromentin.

The museum?s exhibits also include large-size bronze, marble and gypsum statues by great sculptors of the 19th century such as Auguste Rodin, Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux, Louis Antoine Barye and Charles Cordier. Moreover, the museum?s exhibits include a rare collection of small boxes bearing the Japanese style.

The palace was inaugurated for the first time as a museum on July 23rd,1962. The museum was moved to the Prince Amr Ibrahim?s palace in Zamalek, Cairo , in July 1971. After remodeling, the museum was moved back to Mr. Khalil?s palace in September 1995.