MUSEU NACIONAL DE ARTE ANTIGA

The National Museum of Ancient Art is located in the Lapa district. It houses an exceptional collection of paintings, sculptures, ceramics, silverware and other works of art spanning several centuries of European, Asian and African art history. Housed in a former palace, the Palácio de Alvor-Pombal, to which part of the nearby Santos-o-Novo monastery has been incorporated, the museum is itself a historic site steeped in history, and offers a remarkable setting in which to house this collection. It came into being in 1884 following the confiscation of Portuguese Church property during the suppression of religious orders in the XIXᵉ century. The museum was created to collect, preserve and exhibit works of art from the religious and aristocratic heritage, particularly after the dissolution of the monasteries in 1834, which had led to the dispersal of many masterpieces. Many of the works on display therefore come from other monasteries, churches and private collections seized by the state. Almost a coincidence!

To whet your appetite, start with a pretty canvas by Boucher (Louis XV's favorite painter) in exquisite pink hues, before moving on to the room of foreign paintings: two Courbets, including a snowy landscape that anticipates Impressionist technique and light. Side by side, a study by Fragonard that "sketches" its subject and an impressive collection of paintings by European masters, including works by Hans Holbein, Dürer, Zurbarán and Piero della Francesca.

In another room, among canvases from the Flemish school, you'll notice a very fine Pieter de Hooch (^16th century), entitled Conversation. Not far away, a Murillo (^17th century) from which the mystical face of St. Catherine emerges against an absolutely dark background. On the second floor, you'll find collections of Flemish tapestries, ceramics (including Portuguese azulejos) and Asian porcelain, bearing witness to the commercial and cultural exchanges between Portugal and the rest of the world.

One room is devoted to nine paintings by Zurbarán (^17th century) depicting the apostles, painted with apparent neutrality, but in fact with painstaking realism.

Next to it, a fine portrait by Van Dyck (16th^e and XVII^e centuries). Further on, a Peter Bruegel (^17th century) showing a scene of "charity", a pretext, in the painter's usual swarming and incredible profusion of detail, for showing the figures of misery.

In the next room: two imposing altarpieces, including a Quentin Metsys(Way of the Cross, Deposition, Resurrection) and a Pieter Cœcke Van Aelst (^16th century) with a more original composition.

Next, a miraculous room, a Cranach including a striking Salome: note the absolute emptiness of the gaze as you present the tray where the decapitated head of St. John the Baptist rests, and one of the museum's most famous pieces, Hieronymus Bosch's Triptych of the Temptations of St. Anthony, discreetly brought back to Portugal in the XVIIᵉ century by a Portuguese priest.

Pay attention in the next room to canvas numbered 1261, a very surprising ^16th-century Face of the Child (attributed without certainty to the Master of the Half-Lengths): the background is composed of a multitude of tiny round touches on which the Virgin's shadow cuts darkly.

Closing the second floor is an altarpiece of sumptuous technique and craftsmanship: Sainte Anne et la Vierge, by Ramon Destorrents (^16th century). You'll pass pieces of Portuguese furniture, before losing yourself in reverie before three superb Japanese biombos (Nanban screens) with golden clouds, recounting the landing of the Portuguese. On this floor you'll also see Chinese porcelain, lacquerware and Indian and African ivory, often associated with Portuguese maritime and commercial history. Note that if you are particularly interested in a particular type of object (for example, furniture, porcelain or tapestries), you can ask at the museum reception desk for a guide or map to help you find the corresponding rooms more easily.

You then reach a floor devoted to Portuguese painting: in addition to a Descent from the Cross by Vasco Fernandès, a strange curiosity emerges: The Martyrdom of Saint Catherine, which shows the ascension of Saint Catherine, whose decapitated body is carried by three angels. The museum houses a masterpiece attributed to Nuno Gonçalves, the famous Panels of Saint Vincent (XVᵉ century), considered one of Portugal's national treasures.

To the rear of the museum is an adjoining garden, known as Jardim das Janelas Verdes, which offers a breathtaking view of the Tagus River. The garden is designed to be a place of calm and relaxation. Visitors can take a break here after exploring the museum's rich collections, and enjoy a snack in the museum's cafeteria while taking in the peaceful atmosphere.