National Museum of Ancient Art

Origins . . The museum has its roots in the 1833 abolition of religious orders and confiscation of the monasteries in Portugal, which brought a trove of religious art and ornaments into the public sphere. At the instigation of the liberal politician Passos Manuel, the Academia de Bellas Artes ("Academy of Fine Arts") was founded in 1836, and established its headquarters at the former monastery of São Francisco da Cidade (near the Chiado). Although primarily dedicated to nurturing new artists, that same year, the Academia founded the Galeria Nacional de Pintura ("National Gallery of Painting") on the lower levels of the same building, as a subsidiary division to select, care for and display some of the better pieces of the expropriated monastic art then in government storage. An Academia panel selected some 540 paintings for the Galeria. Predictably, most of these were religious-oriented pieces of Portuguese origin. In 1881, Academia officer Delfim Guedes rented the 17th-century Palace of Janelas Verdes ("Green Windows"), the former Lisbon residence of the Counts of Alvor that had been seized by the Marquis of Pombal after 1759 and sold to his own brother, the Cardinal-Inquisitor Paulo António de Carvalho e Mendonça (thus it is also known as the Palace of Pombal-Alvor). Later sold to the neighboring Carmelite convent of Santo Alberto, the palace returned to private hands following the 1833 dissolution. Guedes intended to use it as a temporary space for an international exhibition on Iberian ornamental art ("Exposição Retrospectiva de Arte Ornamental Portuguesa e Espanhola") organized by the South Kensington Museum (now the Victoria & Albert) in London, that was set to visit Lisbon in 1882. Foundation paintings. The government formally purchased the Janelas Verdes palace in June, 1884, and recast it as the Museu Nacional de Belas-Artes e Arqueologia ("National Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology"), formally founded on 11 May 1884, to house what where then known as the "Museus Centrais" of the State and placed it under the management of the Academia Real. The St. Vincent panels were installed in the museum by 1916 and remain perhaps its best known piece. In 1940, the MNAA expanded its installations by acquiring the neighboring old convent of Santo Alberto and turned it into an annex connected by a footbridge. The chapel of the convent, a fine example of 18th Portuguese Baroque art and architecture, was incorporated into the exhibits. ==Collections==

The collection includes painting, sculpture, metalwork, textiles, furniture, drawings, and other decorative art forms from the Middle Ages to the early 19th century. The collections, especially those for the 15th and 16th centuries, are particularly important regarding the history of Portuguese painting, sculpture, and metalwork. Painting ;European The European painting section of the museum is significant and is represented by Jacob Adriaensz Backer, Bartolomé Bermejo, Triptych of the Temptation of St. Anthony by Hieronymus Bosch, Pieter Brueghel the Younger, David Gerard, Saint Jerome in His Study by Albrecht Dürer, Lucas Cranach, Piero della Francesca, Jan Gossaert, Hans Holbein the Elder, Pieter de Hooch, Adriaen Isenbrandt, Quentin Metsys, Hans Memling, Antonis Mor, Joachim Patinir, Jan Provost, Raphael, José Ribera, Andrea del Sarto, David Teniers the Younger, Tintoretto, Anthony van Dyck, Diego Velázquez, David Vinckeboons, Hendrick Cornelisz Vroom, Francisco de Zurbarán, François Boucher, Nicolas Poussin and others. File:Jacob Adriaensz Backer (1608-1651) - Courtisane (1640).jpg|Courtesan by Jacob Adriaensz Backer, 1640. File:Pieter de Hooch - Conversação.JPG|Merry Company by Pieter de Hooch; 1662. File:Lisbon, Museum Nacional de Arte Antiga, Albrecht Dürer, Saint Jerome.JPG|St. Jerome in His Study by Albrecht Dürer; 1521. File:Hieronymus Bosch - Triptych of Temptation of St Anthony - WGA2585.jpg|Triptych of the Temptation of St. Anthony by Hieronymus Bosch; c. 1501. File:Flight into Egypt (Giambattista Tiepolo) (cropped).jpg|Flight into Egypt by Giambattista Tiepolo; c. 1764–70. ;Portuguese Perhaps the most famous work in the museum is the Saint Vincent Panels, which date from before 1470 and are attributed to Nuno Gonçalves, court painter of King Afonso V. Though the history of the polyptych remains enshrouded in mystery, the six large panels have been argued to portray people from all levels of late medieval Portuguese society venerating Saint Vincent, in what would be one of the first group portraits in European art. There are 60 figures on the panels. The museum also has important works by early 16th-century painters active in Portugal, such as, Jorge Afonso, Vasco Fernandes, Garcia Fernandes, Francisco de Holanda, Cristóvão Lopes, Gregório Lopes, Cristovão de Figueiredo, Francisco Henriques, and others. Painting from the 17th through the early 19th centuries is well represented by works that include those of Josefa de Óbidos, Vieira Portuense, and Domingos Sequeira. File:Sebastião de Portugal, c. 1571-1574 - Cristóvão de Morais.png|King Sebastian of Portugal by Cristóvão de Morais, 1571–74. File:A Adoração dos Magos (1828) - Domingos Sequeira.png|Adoration of the Magi by Domingos Sequeira; 1828. File:Nuno Gonçalves. Paineis de São Vicente de Fora.jpg|Saint Vincent Panels by Nuno Gonçalves; c. 1450s. File:Francisco vieira detto vieira portuense, leda e il cigno, 1798, 02.jpg|Jupiter and Leda by Vieira Portuense, 1798. Sculpture The MNAA's collection of sculpture spans millennia of statues, figurines, and other pieces, originating in Ancient Rome, Portugal, Italy, Ancient Egypt, Spain, France, Brazil, and England, among other places. File:Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga - Lisboa - Portugal (29508850544).jpg|Two-Headed Fountain; 1501–1515. File:Lisboa-Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga-Retábulo da Paixão de Cristo-20140917.jpg|Altarpiece of the Passion of Christ; c. 1550–75. File:Lisboa-Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga-São Miguel-20140917 (cropped).jpg|St. Michael Archangel; 17th century. File:Bottega di coimbra, altarolo con madonna col bambino, 1525-50 ca.jpg|Madonna with Child; 1525–50. File:António ferreira, presepio del convento di santa teresa de jesus de carbide, 1701-25 ca. 03.jpg|Santa Teresa visiting Jesus in the crib; 1701–25. File:Arte romana, torso del pothos, I secolo ac-I dc ca, da un originale di skopas del 360-355 ac ca.jpg|Torso of Pothos; 1st century. File:Epoca tolemaica, leone in basalto con base di porfido, 325-30 ac ca. 02.jpg|Ptolemaic lion; 325-30 BCE. Goldwork Portuguese metalwork is another highlight of the museum. Among its collection are pieces from the 12th to the 18th centuries. One of the most notable examples is the famous monstrance of Belém. It might have been made by the playwright, actor, and poet, Gil Vicente. According to an inscription on the monstrance, it was created out the gold brought back to Portugal from Kilwa (East Africa) in 1504–05 by the admiral Vasco da Gama. File:Lisbon, museum Nacional de Arte Antiga, reliquary?.JPG|Custódia de Belém; 1506. File:Portogallo, piatto con stemma, xix-xx secolo, argento.jpg|Portuguese plate; 19th century. File:Lisbon Diego de Paiva de Andrade.jpg|Cameo of Diogo de Paiva de Andrade; c. 1575. File:Thomas e françois-thomas germain, centrotavola del duca di aveiro, argento, parigi 1729-57, 01.jpg|Germain Service; c. 1750-60's. File:Lisbon, Museum Nacional de Arte Antiga, figures made of silver (cropped).JPG|Dancing Courtiers by Ambroise-Nicolas Cousinet; 1757–8. File:Portogallo, reliquiario, oro, smalti, cristallo di rocca, smerladi e rubini, xvi secolo 01.jpg|Crown of Thorns Reliquary; c. 1515–25. Textiles The MNAA's collection of textiles includes pieces from France, Ancient Egypt, Portugal, India, and Italy, among other places. File:Jan II leyniers (attr.), su dis. di charles le brun, nascita di meleagro, bruxelles 1680 cva.jpg|Birth of Meleager by Jan Leyniers; 1680. File:Portogallo, panno da appendere in lino e cotone, 1615, 02.jpg|Portuguese lace; 1615. File:Tournai, la scoperta dell'india, 1504-30 ca.jpg|Arrival of the Portuguese to India from Tournai; 1504–30. File:Egitto copto, frammento con vaso, VI secolo.jpg|Coptic Egyptian textile; 5th century. File:India, panno da parete per il mercato portoghese, guzerate (forse), 1600-10 ca. 01.jpg|Indian Tapestry; 1600–10. Imperial collection The MNAA's Coleção de Arte da Expansão is the museum's vast collection of art from the former Portuguese Empire, collected from the Americas, Asia, and Africa. File:Scuola di kano (attr.), paravento con mercanti giapponesi, 1593-1600 ca. 07.jpg|Nanban screen; c. 1593. File:Ceylon, cofanetto, legno di sandalo, tartaruga, avorio e argento, xvii sec. 01.jpg|Indo-Portuguese coffer; 17th century. File:Cina, coppia di bauli laccati con intarsi di madreperla e oro, su tavolini, xviii secolo 02.jpg|Chinese cabinet; 18th century. File:Produzione afro-portoghese, saliera in avorio, forse dal benin, edo o yoruba, xvi secolo.jpg|Afro-Portuguese ivory figurine; 16th century. File:Persia Portrait of a Portuguese (detail).jpg|Persian portrait of a Portuguese nobleman; 16th century. File:Cina, dinastia qing, bottiglia, regno yongzheng, 1723-35 ca.jpg|Qing dynasty vase; 1723–35. Furniture The MNAA's collection of pieces of furniture span several centuries and originate primarily in France, Italy, Portugal, and Portuguese India. The most notable collections are those of the Portuguese royal residences and the collection of pieces from the former Portuguese Empire. File:Arte indo-portoghese, cabinet con base, ebano e avorio, sind o gujarat, xvi-xvii secolo 01.jpg|Indo-Portuguese cabinet; 16-17th century. File:Jean henri (attr.), secretaire a ribaltina, parigi 1776 ca., con orologio a lira di jean michel breant parigi (1775-1800 ca.).jpg|Secretary by Jean Henri Riesener; c. 1776. File:Portogallo, credenza, 1650-1700 ca.jpg|Portuguese credenza; c. 1650–1700 File:Portogallo, sedia con braccioli, 1750-1800 ca.jpg|Portuguese chair; c. 1750. File:Portogallo, letto portatile, 1750 ca. 01.jpg|Portuguese bed; c. 1750. File:Portogallo, leggio, 1650-1700 ca.jpg|Music stand; c. 1650. File:Portogallo, oratorio privato a forma di trumeau, 1730-60 ca.jpg|Portuguese oratory; 1730–60. File:Claude-charles saunier, commode, 1750-75 ca., con orologio di jean-baptiste dégré, parigi 1775-1800 ca.jpg|French clock and drawers by Claude-Charles Saunier; c. 1775. Ceramics The MNAA's collection of ceramics and porcelain spans several centuries with pieces originating in mainly Portugal, France, Italy, Spain, and China. Notable collections include Qing dynasty porcelains, Hispano-Moresque ware, and Caldas da Rainha ceramics. File:Relief of Virgin Mary with child.JPG|Relief of the Virgin Mary by Andrea della Robbia; 15th century. File:Lisbon, Museum Nacional de Arte Antiga, jug (cropped).JPG|Portuguese vase; 18th century. File:Bottega dei della robbia, cornice di tabernacolo eucaristico, 1501-25 ca.jpg|Tabernacle of the Eucharist by Andrea della Robbia; 1501–25. File:Sèvres, la toeletta della signora, in biscuit, 1775 (cropped).jpg|Sèvres porcelain; 1775. File:Meissen, vasi coronati, 1860-80 ca. 01.jpg|Meissen porcelain; c. 1860–80. File:Lisbon, Museum Nacional de Arte Antiga, the drunkard.JPG|Drunkard on a Barrel; 19th century. File:Maiolica ispano-moresca, piatto a lustro, manises, 1425-1450 ca.jpg|Hispano-Moresque ware; c. 1425–50. == See also ==