The art gallery was opened in 1996 in the building of the City Administration, which is a monument of architecture from the early 19th century.

The gallery features works of Russian and Western European painting from the 17th and early 20th centuries, as well as collections of artistic furniture and decorative applied arts made of bronze, marble, ceramics, porcelain, and glass.

The foundation of the museum's art collection is the collection of the Uvarov counts, transferred to the museum in 1918 from their estate in Karacharovo, near Murom. Alexei Sergeyevich and Praskovya Sergeyevna Uvarov, renowned Russian archaeologists, were connoisseurs and admirers of art, which is reflected in the unique composition of their family collection.

The exhibition begins with a series of family portraits. In a luxurious oval frame is the portrait of P.S. Uvarova, born Princess Shcherbatova, created by N.E. Rachkov. Her image hints at an inner fire of thought and a tumultuous soul. Next to it is the portrait of her father-in-law, Sergey Semyonovich Uvarov, painted by V.A. Golike in 1833. He was an educated man, a connoisseur of ancient poetry and history. Also featured is the portrait of Natalia Kirillovna Zagryazhskaya, created by an unknown master. She was acquainted with A.S. Pushkin, and according to his confession, much of the image of the countess in "The Queen of Spades" was taken from Zagryazhskaya. The portrait of Maria Antonovna Naryshkina, painted by S. Tonchi, is filled with a special charm. Her beauty, according to contemporaries, seemed impossible and unnatural. An 18th-century "Portrait of an Unknown Woman," created by an unknown master, is also included in the exhibition. Visitors can see other portraits depicting figures from Russian history.

Western European art from various schools, such as Italian, Spanish, French, Dutch, and German, is represented by works from masters like Domenico Tiepolo, Lorenzo Quaglio, Adam Eugène, David Teniers, and others. Russian art also occupies an important place. Attention is drawn to a pencil sketch by K.P. Bryullov for the painting "The Last Day of Pompeii," close to the final version located in the State Russian Museum. The works of I.I. Shishkin are represented by graphic pieces "Forest" and "Herd in the Forest." There is also a watercolor by A.K. Savrasov titled "Swiss Lake" and a study called "Moonlit Night." The exhibition includes works by students of A.K. Savrasov, such as K. Korovin's "Evening Landscape" and S. Svetoslavsky's "Landscape with Storks." The works of V.D. Polenov are represented by studies "On the Banks of the Nile," "Nile Mouth," "Epirus," and a large canvas titled "Dreams." A special place in the collection is occupied by an author's repetition of A.E. Arkhipov's painting "On the Oka River."

The interiors of the gallery halls are decorated with furniture from the 18th and 19th centuries in the styles of Baroque, Rococo, and Russian Jacob. Display cases showcase glass and crystal tableware from Western and Russian production of the 18th and 19th centuries.