From: Dean Gregory, to Museum Spotlight Europe (April 2021)
Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, a petroleum tycoon from Turkey, invested his great fortune in amassing artworks and enhancing cultural hubs across Europe; the great Gulbenkian collection is displayed at the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and Foundation in Lisbon, Portugal.
The Gulbenkian collection includes works dating from ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt through Greco-Roman times to the Italian Renaissance and 20th century British art. This comprehensive collection transports one through the richness of both art history and the history of various civilizations. Discover more about this intriguing visionary, the Gulkenkian collection, and other institutions in Lisbon that capture the beauty and range of the human experience.
Who was Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian?
Calouste Gulbenkian, born in Istanbul in 1869, capitalized on business interests in the emerging oil industry as well as art patronage. After obtaining a petroleum engineering degree from King’s College in London, Gulbenkian followed in his father’s footsteps, facilitating unprecedented Western access to energy resources in the Middle East. Gulbenkian coordinated an alliance between British, German, Dutch, and Ottoman interests during both World Wars and the dissolution of the Ottoman Empire.
A rich cultural background, multilingual capability and extensive traveling allowed Gulbenkian to collect 6,000 pieces, representing cultures globally. Gulbenkian gradually developed the idea of creating a museum over time, through lending pieces to the British Museum and National Gallery in London and showing pieces at his home. In 1942, France became engulfed in World War II, so Gulbenkian sought refuge in Portugal. Within a year after his death in 1955, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation had been established. Today, the institution is dedicated to cultural, educational, social, and scientific advancement.
The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum
The private collection of Gulbenkian spans the globe, while the museum maintains a similar atmosphere to that of a mini-Louvre or The British Museum. The Gulbenkian Museum takes visitors on a journey of history and art from the Far East, Mesopotamia, Persia, Islamic civilization, and Greco-Roman traditions through Western European styles such as the Renaissance, Baroque, and Impressionism.
Highlights of the collection include: Rembrandt’s Portrait of an Old Man, Renoir’s Portrait of Madame Claude Monet, a gold mummy mask, a series of bronze cats from Egypt, tapestries from Persia in the 17th century, and rare works of Chinese porcelain. Many of the relics in the European art section were purchased by Gulbenkian from the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia.
In 1975, the museum’s building received a Valmor Prize for architecture and was designated as a National Monument of Portugal in 2010. The museum’s grounds feature two gardens, which can be enjoyed from inside the museum through grand windows. The Gulbenkian Museum is located north of Lisbon’s center and is easily reached by public transportation and taxi.
The Modern Collection
In an adjacent building from the Founder’s Collection, the Modern Collection includes modern Portuguese art as well as 20th century British art pieces. Select works by Paula Rego, Vieira da Silva, Henry Moore, and David Hockney are on display. The Modern Collection highlights Armenian-American artist, Arshile Gorky, as well as 31 works acquired from Iraqi artists in the 1960s. The collection also features paintings, photographs and media installations from Portuguese exploration in Africa. Currently closed for renovations, the Modern Collection is scheduled to re-open in 2022.
Lisbon’s Art Scene
The Museum Berardo on the banks of the Tagus River in Belém features works by Picasso, Francis Bacon and Andy Warhol, among other modern masters. The Museum of Ancient Art holds a vast collection of European and Portuguese painters, including works by Raphael, Bosch, Dürer, and Lucas Cranach. Both museums are in close proximity to Lisbon’s center and can be reached via public transportation and taxi. Visitors to the Museum Berardo in Belém should consider having a coffee and a delectable pastel de nata at the famous Pastéis de Belém, located approximately 10 minutes away by foot.
Cover Image via Wikimedia
