Gallery of Fine Arts in Zadar was founded on 10th October 1948, after World War II in a completely ruined city. It was an independent institution from its founding until 1963.
It is the first institution of its kind in Zadar that collects, preserves and presents artistic material mostly from the 20th century. Today, as one of the departments of the National Museum Zadar, the Gallery of Fine Arts, contains numerous collections: a collection of icons, a collection of old paintings, collection of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries, a collection of contemporary art, a photography collection, a collection of negatives by Ante Brkan, Ivan Palčić’s legacy and the Novaković collection.
Due to the renovation of the Proveditor’s Palace, the exhibition space of the Fine Arts Gallery is closed for visitors. Occasional exhibitions of the Department are held at the Rector's Palace and the City Lodge.