Sam_Mar19

THE GREAT MUSEUMS OF LISBON

No visit Portugal’s capital would be complete without a visit to the prestigious museums and galleries that form its vibrant personality. Ben Austin views the best

Ah, Lisbon, a veritable fairytale city, modern and dynamic yet steeped in history and culture. Its long and colourful story is told in the hills, the trams and in the cobblestones. Here and there you will find little alleyways and hidden-away places – an antiquated bookshop, a gallery selling old, fading printed maps of the city, when Lisbon was the hub of discovery and family-run cafés serving up a bica and pasteis de nata in the traditional way. These authentic finds jostle with the brash and the new, the uniformity of global brands and dreary restaurant chains.

The art experience of the city is one of a rich homegrown culture infused and influenced by other nationalities, races and religions.To my mind there is one place to start to get a handle on this multifarious society...

The Museum of Ancient Art It houses an enviable collection of artwork from the 12th to the 19th century. It has painting, sculpture, silver, gold, jewellery and the decorative arts from Portugal, Europe, Africa and the Orient with many pieces classified as ‘national treasures’ including the famous Panels of Saint Vicent by Nuno Gonçalves.

The six paintings present a group of 58 people gathered together around the double figuration of Saint Vincent. This solemn and monumental assembly represents the Court and various groups within Portuguese society at the time.

The full narrative and significance of the work remains somewhat of a mystery and it is believed that the artist was the royal painter to King Afonso V and the panels formed part of the altarpiece of Saint Vincent in the chancel of Lisbon cathedral.

There are many and numerous wonders to be found in the Museum of Ancient Art – beautiful crafted religious artifacts, drama-filled crucifixion scenes and curious set pieces of the nativity, which are a bit garish to the modern eye but nevertheless intricate and intriguing.

The real star of the show is the completely bonkers Hieronymus Bosch – The Triptych of Temptation of St. Anthony, which depicts the mental and spiritual torments endured by the saint. One could literally lose hours in examining the bizarre and fantastical imagery within this incredible artwork.

The museum also has a good restaurant attached with a sensational view of the Tagus.

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum From the Museum of Ancient Art it makes sense to go on to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, a true and remarkable treasure trove.

The Gulbenkian takes you from Ancient Egypt to the present day across its two collections: the ‘Founder’s Collection’, amassed throughout Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian’s life, is considered by many to be one of the best private collections in the world. It comprises more than 6,000 pieces, from antiquity to early 20th century; the ‘Modern Collection’ is one of the most complete collections of modern and contemporary Portuguese art, boasting approximately 10,000 pieces.

There are too many jewels in this crown to really count, but I have always enjoyed objets d’art and the 80 pieces by René Lalique are exceptional examples and were acquired by the Collector directly from the artist between 1899 and 1927. The two men shared a fascination with the transition of the so-called Belle Époque, which is seen in the set of remarkable Art Nouveau works. Their friendship was well documented and is seen in the words of the Collector: “My admiration for his unique work increased throughout the 50 years our friendship lasted... I am proud to own, I believe, the largest number of Lalique’s works...”.

The story of the Founder’s Collection is one of schemes at the highest level involving international cultural politicking. At one point, London was considered to be the location to house the collection. This came to nothing with the outbreak of the Second World War and an odd diplomatic

incident in 1942, leading the British Government to declare Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian a “technical enemy”, which was then later revoked.

After the War, the Victoria and Albert Museum offered to house the entire collection, as did the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The main collection remained at Calouste Gulbenkian’s house on the Avenue d’Iéna, Paris until his death. His definitive Will in 1953 specified that his works of art should come to Lisbon, and a Foundation should be instituted. After some bureaucratic wrangling the collection arrived in Lisbon in 1960 and was finally grouped together under one roof in 1969, when it left the Palácio Pombal for the new museum.

The museum itself was constructed to the prevailing Modernist architectural tastes and was designed to remain in close harmony with the surrounding park. The architects received the Valmor Prize in 1975, which included the space of the gardens.

In terms of fine paintings one can find works from the Flemish, Dutch, French, English and Italian schools from the 16th to the 19th century, with highlights including works by Domenico Ghirlandaio, Frans Hals, Rembrandt van Rijn, Peter Paul Rubens, Jean-Honoré Fragonard, Édouard Manet and Edgar Degas. The Founders Collection has a superb sculpture section, especially from the 18th and 19th centuries. Italian and Flemish Renaissance tapestry and French furniture from the Louis XV and Louis XVI periods.

The Modern Collection features significant examples of 20th century British art. The Collection’s Portuguese artists run from Amadeo de Souza- Cardoso to Paula Rego and Vieira da Silva. It is a living collection, with new works being added through donations and purchases.

The main purpose of the Gulbenkian Foundation, founded in 1956, is to improve the quality of life through art, charity, science and education often by providing scholarships and grants for other institutions and social organisations.

Finally, worth knowing about the Gulbenkian is that they have an excellent music programme, so check out their website for information.

There is also a new book out on Calouste Gulbenkian – Mr Five Per Cent by Jonathan Conlin, which charts the tycoon’s life, marking the 150th anniversary of his birth. Conlin estimates Gulbenkian’s fortune in today’s money to

be around £19.4 billion. The man who enjoyed the pleasures of life and the ultimate citizen of nowhere, “always a visitor, never at home.”

Another must-see museum for a more contemporary experience is next to the Jeronimos Monastery and the showstopper of the Belém Cultural Centre.

The Berado Collection This collection belongs to the billionaire entrepreneur and philanthropist, José Manuel Rodrigues Berardo. The permanent collection showcases over 900 pieces by more than 500 artists representing all the great modern European and American art movements, from Minimalism and Conceptualism to Cubism and Surrealism.

If one were to be a tad snooty about the collection, it would be fair to say that even though it contains work by art world heavyweights, such as Roy Lichtenstein, Pablo Picasso, Marcel Duchamp, Francis Bacon, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Cindy Sherman and Andy Warhol, it lacks the top tier examples, with the Tate, the Met and MoMa showing off the very best. But considered in the context of a personal and private collection, it is very impressive indeed.

What is more, the collection has a fantastic programme of ‘Temporary Exhibitions’ with the most recent being a group show entitled – WAIT and an immersive six-screen video installation piece called Purple by British artist and filmmaker, John Akomfrah.