Gulbenkian Museum
The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (Calouste Gulbenkian Museum) is Portugal's finest museum and one of the best collections of classical art anywhere in Europe.
The museum consists of the Founder's Collection and the Modern Collection (Centro de Arte Moderna José de Azeredo Perdigão) housed in separate buildings surrounded by the beautiful Gulbenkian Garden.
History
The over 6,000 pieces (with around 1,000 on permanent display) housed in a renovated 1960's building were the eclectic collection of Armenian oil magnate and multi-millionaire, Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian (1869-1995). On his death in Lisbon, Gulbenkian bequeathed his vast acquisitions of art to the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation (Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian).
The Museu Calouste Gulbenkian is set in it's own park, which also includes the Centro de Arte Moderna, an amphitheater, an art library, auditoriums and cafes. All the exhibits are labeled in Portuguese and English.
Exhibits
The permanent exhibition galleries consist of two independent circuits within the overall tour laid out in chronological and geographical order.
The first circuit showcases Oriental and Classical Art including Egyptian, Greco-Roman, Mesopotamian, Eastern Islamic, Armenian and Far Eastern Art.
The second circuit includes European Art with separate sections dedicated to the Art of the Book, Sculpture, Painting and the Decorative Arts, in particular 18th century French art and the art nouveau jewels and glass work of René Lalique, displayed in its own room.
There are European paintings by many of the masters including Rembrandt, Renoir, Ghirlandaio, Rubens, Manet, Monet, Gainsborough and Turner. Noted European paintings are Rubens' The Love of Centaurs (1635), Rembrandt's Old Man with a Stick (1645), Pascal-Adolphe-Jean Dagnan-Bouveret's Les Bretonnes au Pardon (1887) and Gainsborough's Wreck of a Transport Ship (1810).
The collection also includes Sèvres porcelain, ornate French furniture and fine Italian fabrics.
Highlights
Highlights of the Oriental and Classical Art collection include the Egyptian exhibits with an exquisite 2,700 year-old alabaster bowl and a head of the Pharaoh Senusret III, made in obsidian (volcanic glass), fine Roman statues, Persian carpets and Islamic glassware and tiles as well as rare Chinese porcelain along with Japanese wood block prints, inro and lacquer work.
The collection of coins from the Greco-Roman period is truly outstanding and the visitor marvels at how well preserved and exquisitely made these ancient coins are.
The museum also holds special, temporary exhibitions throughout the year in two separate galleries.
Wander the beautiful Gulbenkian Garden, which draws scores of workers from nearby offices and shops in fine weather to enjoy its statues, lawns, ponds and cafes. The statues include a Henry Moore and a statue of Gulbenkian by Portuguese sculptor Leopoldo de Almeida. The serene garden, dotted with Portuguese oaks and the rare European yew is an oasis for various birds and amphibians including mallards, moorhens, jays and even hawks.
Across the garden is the Modern Collection, housed in the Centro de Arte Moderna José de Azeredo Perdigão. The collection houses modern European art from the latter years of the 19th century to the present day. Exhibits include works by José de Almada Negreiros, Paula Rego, Sonia Delaunay, Anthony Gormley and David Hockney. Also represented are photos by Fernando Lemos, Lisbon scenes by Carlos Botelho (1899-1982) and the the Futurist paintings of Amadeo de Sousa Cardoso (1887-1918).
Grand Auditorium
The Grande Auditório can accommodate an audience of over 1200 people and stages regular classical concerts and conferences. The main stage has also hosted performances of dance, drama and opera and is fully equipped for cinema projection.
Access - Getting There
Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (gulbenkian.pt/museu/)
Avenida de Berna 45A
1067-001 Lisboa
Tel: 21 782 3000
The nearest Lisbon metro stations to the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian are São Sebastião or Praça de Espanha; alternatively Lisbon buses: 716, 726, 756 (Avenida de Berna), 746 (Avenida António Augusto de Aguiar) and 713, 742 (Rua Marquês da Fronteira).
Hours: Wednesday to Monday: 10 am - 6 pm
Closed on Tuesdays and the following holidays: January 1, Easter Sunday, May 1 and December 25
Admission: All Day (Founder's Collection + Modern Collection + temporary exhibitions): 14 Euros; Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (Founder's Collection + Modern Collection): 10 Euros; Temporary exhibitions: 3-5 Euros. There is a 20% reduction with a Lisboa Card and a 50% reduction for holders of Cartão Jovem, students under 30 years of age and visitors over 65. Free entry to the museum on Sundays from 2 pm.
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