Literally translated as ‘Palace of Paintings,’ this centrally located Ubud museum complex comprised of three spacious exhibition buildings is Bali’s oldest founded in 1956 by the King of Ubud and patron of the arts, Tjokorda Gde Agung Sukawati and his brother Tjokorda Gde Raka Sukawati along with European artists Rudolf Bonnet and Walter Spies who were living in Bali at the time.  The museum houses the island’s biggest collection of contemporary sculptures and woodcarvings that date from 1930 to the present as well as paintings from Bali’s most notable schools of art including Batuan, Sanur, Ubud, Keliki, and Young Artist.  The scenic grounds of the museum are also noteworthy, featuring walkways that link the buildings via well kept gardens, a statuary and lotus ponds.

Building I - as you enter this building, it show cases a collection of early works from Ubud and the surrounding villages. These include examples of classical wayang -style paintings (art influenced by shadow puppetry), fine ink drawings by I Gusti Nyoman Lempad and paintings by Pita Maha artists. Notice the level of detail in Lempad’s -The Dream of Dharmawangsa. Classic works from the 1930s heyday of expats are also here.

Building II, - on the left side, has some colourful examples of the Young Artist style of painting and a good selection of ‘modern traditional’ works.

Building III, - on the right, has classical and traditional paintings and is used for special exhibitions.

The museum’s collection is labeled in English. The museum has a good bookshop and a cafe. The lush, garden-like grounds alone are worth a visit.