THE UTOPIAN COLLECTION – MUSEU DO CARAMULO VISITS MNAA

18.05.21 > 26.09.21

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon

 

Since the Museu do Caramulo is now closed to the public to undergo a revamp that will consist of the refurbishment of its gallery spaces, a selection of its most emblematic works of art will be brought to Lisbon and made available to this city’s museum visitors. This initiative’s main purpose will be to make these gems, unknown to many, accessible to a greater number of people. Thus, works by Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva and Eduardo Viana are joined by the first Picasso to be exhibited in Portugal, but also by beautiful examples of old painting, with emphasis on works by artists such as Grão Vasco, Isembrandt, Quentin Metsys and Frei Carlos. Decorative arts works are also added to this selection, like one of the tapestries in the series known as “In the manner of Portugal and India”, rare pieces of Chinese porcelain and Namban works of art. Enriching this set of works can be found some creations of young artists recently incorporated in the Museu do Caramulo’s collections. Automobiles are also an unavoidable subject as far as this museum is concerned. Therefore, its cars collection, unique in Portugal, will be evoked by a miniature model of a Bugatti, one of the most beautiful classics in the world auto industry.

Born from the utopian idea of Abel de Lacerda (1921-1957) – who in just four years (1953-1957) brought together an invaluable collection of art – the Museu do Caramulo is right at the center of the old sanatorium resort of Serra do Caramulo in the district of Viseu. After Abel Lacerda’s death, the project was carried out by his brother, João de Lacerda (1923-2003), and the museum was inaugurated in 1959. João de Lacerda combined the love his brother had for the fine arts with his own passion for “classic” automobiles and the excellent collection of bicycles that he had gathered and exhibited in a space next to the building that houses the Museum.

Along with the opening of the exhibition and with the intention of commemorating the centenary of Abel Lacerda’s birth, a documentary dedicated to the collector and the man who envisioned the Museu do Caramulo will be premiered.

 

 

 

A COLECÇÃO UTÓPICA – O MUSEU DO CARAMULO VEM AO MNAA

18.05.21 > 26.09.21

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisboa

 

Aproveitando o encerramento do Museu do Caramulo para a requalificação dos espaços museográficos, foi feita uma seleção das obras de arte mais emblemáticas que se conservam naquele museu, trazendo-as à fruição do público lisboeta. Procura-se assim dar a conhecer a um maior número de pessoas estas preciosidades, desconhecidas para muitos. Ao primeiro Picasso que se expôs em Portugal, juntam-se Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva e Eduardo Viana, mas também belos exemplares de pintura antiga, destacando-se obras de autores como Grão Vasco, Isembrandt, Quentin Metsys e Frei Carlos. Acrescenta-se a esta seleção objetos de artes decorativas, como uma das tapeçarias da série conhecida como “à maneira de Portugal e da Índia”, raras peças de porcelana chinesa e obras de arte Namban. Este conjunto de peças é enriquecido pelas criações de jovens criadores recentemente incorporadas nas suas coleções. Incontornáveis, quando falamos de Museu do Caramulo, são os automóveis. A coleção, única em Portugal, será invocada por um exemplar, de pequenas dimensões, de um Bugatti, um dos mais belos clássicos da industrial automobilística mundial.