A panel inside The Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (National Museum of Ancient Art), also known as the “MNAA”, proclaims that this museum is “home to the most important Portuguese public collections in the field of fine arts.”
Although the name may give the impression that the MNAA is devoted to the art of antiquity, the collections actually cover the 12th through the 19th century. Furthermore, it is a large collection including some 40,000 items consisting of paintings, drawings, sculpture, jewelry, silver and gold work, textiles, and decorative arts. There is an emphasis on works by Portuguese artists. Perhaps the most important of these is the Saint Vincent Panels, a 13th century polyptych attributed to Nuno Goncalves. However, there are also works by other European artists including Raphael, Bosch, Durer, Tiepolo and Courbet as well as portraits by Lawrence, Vigee Le Brun, Reynolds and Van Dyck. In addition, there are works from Asia, the Americas and Africa that were accumulated by Portuguese collectors over the centuries. The museum was founded in 1884 as Museu Nacional de Belas-Artes e Arqueologia (National Museum of Fine Arts and Archaeology). In that same year, the government purchased the 17th century Palace of Janelas Verdes to be the home for its various art collections including orks from the former royal collection and works obtained from ecclesiastical institutions. In 1911, the government decided to split the collections and create a museum for contemporary art with its own separate home. The museum remaining in the Palace of Janelas Verdes assumed its present name (i.e. MNAA). In 1940, the MNAA was expanded into the neighboring 16th century convent of Santo Alberto. Although housed in historical buildings, much has been done to bring the galleries in line with contemporary museum standards. At the same time, elements of the buildings past have been preserved including the chapel of the former convent with its Baroque decoration. The galleries were well-lit, clean and uncrowded during our visit. The NMAA overlooks the River Tagus and has a fine garden. For more information on visiting, see the MNAA's website. |
Above: The NMAA as seen from the River Tagus.
Below: A gallery room and a period room in the NMAA.
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Places to see art - - Lisbon, Portugal - - National Museum of Ancient Art