Page 82 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Lisbon

80  LISBON AREA B Y AREA

Exploring the Gulbenkian Collection
Housing Calouste Gulbenkian’s unique collection of art, the
museum ranks with the Museu de Arte Antiga (see pp58–61)
as the finest in Lisbon. The exhibits, which span over 4,000
years from ancient Egyptian statuettes, through translucent
Islamic glassware, to Art Nouveau brooches, are displayed in
spacious and well-lit galleries, many overlooking the gardens
or courtyards. The museum is quite small; however each
individual work of art, from the magnificent pieces that make Early 17th-century Persian faïence tile from
up the rich display of Oriental and Islamic art, to the selection the School of Isfahan
of European paintings and furniture, is worthy of attention.
Far Eastern Art
Assyrian culture, one of the Calouste Gulbenkian acquired
Egyptian, Classical and seven Apkallu) carrying a a large collection of Chinese
Mesopotamian Art
container of sacred water dates porcelain between 1907 and
Priceless treasures chart the from the 9th century BC. 1947. One of the rarest pieces
evolution of Egyptian art from is the small blue-glazed bowl
the Old Kingdom (c.2700 BC) from the Yuan Dynasty (1271–
to the Roman Period (from the Oriental Islamic Art 1368), on the right as you go
lst century BC). The exhibits Being Armenian, Calouste into the gallery. The majority of
range from an alabaster bowl Gulbenkian had a keen interest exhibits, however, are the later,
of the 3rd Dynasty to a Roman in art from the Near and Middle more exuberantly decorated
satyr’s head from the East. The Oriental Islamic famille verte porcelain and the
2nd century AD. gallery has a fine Kangxi biscuitware of the 17th
Outstanding collection of Persian and 18th centuries. Further
pieces in the Classical and Turkish carpets, exhibits from the Far East are
art section are a textiles, costumes translucent Chinese jades and
magnificent red- and ceramics. In the other semiprecious stones,
figure Greek vase and section overlooking Japanese prints, brocaded
11 Roman medallions, the courtyard, the either silk hangings, bound
found in Egypt. These Syrian or Egyptian mosque books and lacquerwork.
are believed to have 5th-century BC lamps and bottles,
been struck to Greek vase commissioned by princes European Art (10th–
commemorate the and sultans, are beautifully
athletic games held in decorated with coloured enamel 17th Centuries)
Macedonia in AD 242 in honour on glass. The Armenian section Illuminated manuscripts, rare
of Alexander the Great. In the has some exquisite illustrated printed books and medieval
Mesopotamian art section, the manuscripts from the 17th ivories introduce the section
large Assyrian alabaster bas- century, produced by Armenian on Western art. The delicately
relief representing a winged refugees in Istanbul, Persia and sculpted 14th-century ivory
demigod (in the Crimea. diptychs and triptychs, made in
France, show scenes from the
lives of Christ and the Virgin.
The collection of early
European paintings starts with
panels of possibly St Joseph
and St Catherine by Rogier van
der Weyden, leading painter
of the mid-15th century in
Flanders. Italian Renaissance
painting is represented by
Cima da Conegliano’s Sacra
Conversazione from the late
15th century and Domenico
Ghirlandaio’s Portrait of a
Young Woman (c.1490).
The collection progresses
to Flemish and Dutch works
of the 17th century, including
two works by Rembrandt:
French ivory triptych of Scenes from the Life of the Virgin (14th century) Portrait of an Old Man (1645),

080-081_EW_Lisbon.indd 80 17/10/16 11:34 am
Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Flashmap follow-on template “UK” LAYER
(Source v1.5)
Date 7th January 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm