The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum shares the same venue with the Center of Modern Art, both being part of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum shelters one of the most prestigious and widest collections of fine art works and decorative and applied arts in Lisbon, and one of the most notable private collections in the world (that is, before the collection became the property of the state of Portugal, since the collection was donated by the oil magnate before his death). The museum opened its gates in 1969, 14 years after the death of Calouste Gulbenkian, the rich businessman and art collector to which the foundation, the museum and the center alike owe their existence.

The exhibits were gathered from geographical and cultural spaces like Egypt, Greece, Rome, Islam, Asia, and, understandably, Europe. Speaking about the European works, some of the most prized highlights refer to Portrait of an Old Man and Alexander the Great by Rembrandt, to Peter Paul Rubens’s Portrait of Helene Fourment, to Ghirlandaio’s Portrait of a Girl, to Potrait of Madame Claude Monet by Pierre-Auguste Renoir, along with a sculptural work by Jean-Antoine Houdon (a statue called Diana).

In terms of applied and decorative arts, the following must mentioned: a collection of Chinese vases, Turkish and Persian textiles and ceramics, the unique Rene Lalique jewelry collection and Renaissance European tapestries. The gold Egyptian mummy mask in the Egyptian section (which is nothing but a treasure trove) must also be mentioned.

Holders of a Lisbon Card can benefit from a 20% discount. Substantial discounts are also available for visitors who buy conjoint tickets (a ticket which grants them the entrance both to the museum and to the Center of Modern Art).

Name:
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum (Museu Calouste Gulbenkian)
Address:
45A, Avenida de Berna, Lisbon, Portugal
Telephone:
00351 217 823000
Fax:
00351 217 823032
Website:
museu.gulbenkian.pt
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