|
 The
National Museum of Ancient Art houses the country's greatest
collection of paintings. It occupies two connected buildings -- a
17th-century palace and an added edifice that was built on the site
of the old Carmelite Convent of Santo Alberto. The convent's chapel
was preserved and is a good example of the integration of ornamental
arts, with gilded carved wood, glazed tiles, and sculpture of the
17th and 18th centuries.
The museum has many notable paintings, including the polyptych from
St. Vincent's monastery attributed to Nuno Gonçalves between 1460
and 1470. There are 60 portraits of leading figures of Portuguese
history. Other outstanding works are Hieronymus Bosch's triptych The
Temptation of St. Anthony, Hans Memling's Mother and Child, Albrecht
Dürer's St. Jerome, and paintings by Velázquez, Poussin, and Courbet.
Especially noteworthy is the 12 Apostles, by Zurbarán. Paintings
from the 15th through the 19th centuries trace the development of
Portuguese art.
The museum also exhibits a remarkable collection of gold- and
silversmiths' works, both Portuguese and foreign. Among these is the
cross from Alcobaça and the monstrance of Belém, constructed with
the first gold brought from India by Vasco da Gama. Another
exceptional example is the 18th-century French silver tableware
ordered by José I. Diverse objects from Benin, India, Persia, China,
and Japan were culled from the proceeds of Portuguese expansion
overseas. Two excellent pairs of screens depict the Portuguese
relationship with Japan in the 17th century. Flemish tapestries, a
rich assemblage of church vestments, Italian polychrome ceramics,
and sculptures are also on display. |
