Museu do Chiado

NileGuide Expert tip:

The temporary exhibitions tend to be truly representative of modern art as the permanent collection can no longer be described as contemporary.

Description:

• A fine collection of Portuguese contemporary art is showcased in this wonderfully engaging museum, which is housed in the refurbished Convento de São Francisco. The exhibition is presented in 12 rooms over three floors and includes the entire collection of 1850-1950 paintings that were held in the original Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea (National Museum of Contemporary Art) before being incorporated into the convent building in 1994. The Portuguese painting and sculpture displayed here is themed depending on the period it represents and includes works from the Romanticism, Naturalism, Expressionism, Surrealism and Modernism periods. Not everything can be displayed at once so exhibitions are rotated and are complemented by temporary installations of 21st-century art, including innovative video presentations. Don't miss Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro's fantastically expressive Grupo de Leão (1885) and the portfolio of drawings by French sculptor Auguste Rodin. A useful café is set within the attractive gardens.
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