Flemish art in Madeira
Formerly a Portuguese colony, Madeira now has its own identity. To fully immerse yourself in the Island's history and art, a first stop at the Sacred Art Museum in Funchal is highly recommended. This former Episcopal palace, built in 1594, features master paintings and sculptures from the 15th to the 19th century. These works of art from Bruges or Antwerp arrived in Madeira during the golden age of sugar production. It is good to know that the Infante Dom Henrique decided in 1433 to develop the cultivation of sugar cane on the island. Soon its production was sold for export. Flanders was then the first centre for the redistribution of sugar. At the same time, the port of Bruges became an important diplomatic centre. Some commercial controllers served as intermediaries in the purchase of works of art between Flanders and Portugal. In his diary, the German master Albrecht Dürer wrote: "The postman Brandão offered me two large and beautiful loaves of refined sugar, two jars of sugar jam". In the 16th century, Portuguese ships were responsible for delivering loaves of granulated sugar, the balas, to Flemish ports. At the same time, they brought back paintings, triptychs and religious sculptures that were then in vogue throughout Europe. The economic power of the customers led them to opt for works of gigantic proportions, all of magnificent quality. On this particularly religious island, no work was too lavish to honour the places of worship, be it private chapels, churches or cathedrals. The collection of the Museum of Sacred Art is divided into two parts: Flemish art and Portuguese art from the 15th to the 18th century.
The collection of Flemish sculptures from Mechelen and Antwerp is also noteworthy. From Portuguese painting, which focuses on the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the Ecce Homo and the Ascension of Christ attributed to Fernão Gomes stand out in the 16th century. The Museum da Quinta das Cruces, housed in a manor house, contains among its many gems 15th-century sculptural ensembles, including the Nativity Altarpiece of Flemish origin and the Saint Isabella of Hungary in vitrified clay produced in Italy.Museum-house
The Freitas Museum, sometimes known as Casa da Calçada, gives us a precious testimony of this period. Frederico de Freitas (1894-1978), lawyer, notary and collector, devoted four decades to assembling an astonishing collection of engravings, furniture, ceramics and crystals from the 17th to 19th centuries. The religious theme dominates the sculpture and painting and, except for a series of Luso-Eastern images, the pieces are mainly European. The engravings relating to Madeira provide important iconographic sources on local life in this period. The house-museum is housed in the former home of the collector, a red building that is completely inaccessible. It has been completed by the Casa dos Azulejos, built especially to house the vast eclectic collection of earthenware tiles: oriental, Islamic, medieval pieces, Dutch tile samples. The Portuguese part, which includes an important set of models from the 17th century, evokes national production up to the present day.
Artists' families
The Vicente lineage symbolizes the passage from engraving to photography. The father, Vicente Gomes da Silva (1827-1906), started as an engraver in 1848 and received the title of "Engraver of Her Majesty the Empress of Brazil". In 1856, he began to work in the field of photography. When Empress Sissi visited Madeira in 1860, Vicente had the honor of taking her portrait, which earned him the title of "Photographer to Her Majesty the Empress of Austria". At the same time, this jack-of-all-trades continued his activities as an engraver, bookbinder, sculptor and typographer. In 1887, with the help of his son Vicente, he enlarged his studio and added a garden, a place that has been preserved to this day. Vicente (the son) took over and in 1901 photographed the Portuguese royal couple. He in turn became the official photographer. Over the decades, the studio was passed on to four generations of photographers until Jorge Bettencourt Gomes da Silva (1913-2008).
Since its opening to the public in 1982, the Photographia-Museu Vicentes Museum, located in the old family studio, has been enriched by generous donations: cameras, albums of old photographs, and 800 negatives bequeathed by amateur and professional photographers.
For its part, the Henrique and Francisco Franco Museum presents the pictorial career of two brothers born in Madeira. Each in his own field of predilection, they are considered representatives of Portuguese modernity. Henrique (1883-1961) was essentially a painter. The collection also presents his drawings, engravings and frescoes of modest dimensions. His sculptor brother, Francisco (1885-1955), also left drawings and engravings.Nature and culture
After a long period of restoration, the Monte Palace Museum, with its tropical garden, has become an ideal place for exhibitions. It also has a superb collection of old and new tiles. All of this is thanks to a few wealthy enthusiasts who can be likened to modern patrons.
The oriental garden, which is open to the public, houses a surprising variety of treasures: windows, pagodas, Buddhas, lanterns and sculptures from different cultures and periods. It is also possible to admire the panel made up of 166 terra cotta glass tiles, entitled The Portuguese Adventure in Japan. A second assembly of 40 panels illustrates the history of Portugal. Don't leave without admiring the Renaissance stone altarpiece carved in Coimbra in the 16th century, the 18th century marble statue, the bronze statue of James Butler or the famous marble bust of the Emperor Hadrian from the 2nd century. Between the foliage, four granite angels represent four of the five senses: smell, sight, hearing and taste. Stone arches, finely crafted doors and windows line the paths of this sumptuous green haven. A wing built by businessman José Berardo, who commissioned the latest remodeling of the property, houses an extensive collection of contemporary African art from the Zimbabwe region. Bonus works from Brazil, Portugal, South Africa, Zambia, Peru, Argentina and North America. On the three floors, two are reserved for the thousand sculptures in the collection, not to mention the annex which presents a collection of minerals from all over the world.
In April 1994, José Berardo acquired two priceless antique pieces in the Manueline style (named after Manuel, who ruled between 1495 and 1521), a window and an alcove. Previously, these relics had been lying in a garden in the Azores without anyone noticing them until an advertisement for their sale appeared in the local newspaper. A great deal!Contemporary art
Now Madeira is banking on education through art. In the western part of Madeira, in Calheta, the Museum of Contemporary Art has focused since its opening in 2015 on art from 1960 to the present. Its collection includes 400 pieces that were transferred from the Fortress of são Tiago. Namely, Mudas was awarded for its sober and elegant architecture, perfectly integrated into the landscape. The building, designed by Paulo David, was built as an extension of the Calheta House of Culture, which now serves as a gallery space. In addition to the exhibition area, Mudas includes an auditorium, a library, a cafeteria, a restaurant and a space dedicated to workshops and artistic activities. The institution maintains a policy of acquisition to enrich the initial collection, which includes artists such as Joaquim Rodrigo, António Areal, José Escada, Helena Almeida, Jorge Martins, Artur Rosa, Manuel Baptista and Nuno de Siqueira. The works are mostly purchased from local galleries or directly from the artists.
Public Art
In 2010, the neglected Santa Maria Maior district was the subject of a rehabilitation program that deserves to be taught. It is true that this part of the old city is not lacking in assets. For proof, its charming alleys paved with pebbles typically Madeiran. Under the impetus of the artE pOrtas abErtas (Open doors to art) programme, residents and shopkeepers have entrusted their doors and shop windows to the imagination of street artists from all walks of life. Great names in urban art have joined the project: Victor Melhorado, Sergio Nobrega Artesão, the decorator Nini Andrade Silva, Paulo David and André Gonçalves. The union of forces has resulted in a permanent and atypical exhibition, accessible to all, composed of frescoes, collages and even sculptures. All styles meet in this surge of colour and inventiveness. The Little Prince stands next to a mermaid on a swing. Further on, a giant whale enters and exits through two perpendicular bay windows. Naïve, dark or poetic, a hundred or so works of art revitalise the area around Santa Maria Street
Every year the Atlantic Festival celebrates the opening of the summer season in Madeira. Many initiatives are spread throughout the month of June. Pyromusical shows light up the sky while the Regional Arts Week is held in public places. Organised by the AREAtistica association, Arts Week is designed to showcase the talent of Madeira's art students. Numerous meetings, events and shows accompany the Regional Exhibition of Artistic Expression. On the island of a thousand colours, the next generation is assured!
