A Collection of Stories

Discover some of the narratives within the collection, from interesting facts about the works, tales about their creators and previous owners, and stories about their protagonists.

The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum gathers more than 6000 pieces acquired by Calouste Gulbenkian between the end of the 19th century and mid-20th century. Coming from very different origins, these works travelled for different places, from Africa to Asia, from Europe to America, going through the hands of several owners, some of whom illustrious names in history.

Visiting the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum is like opening a storybook, that can be read from different perspectives. In this section, we will unveil narratives within the collection, from curiosities about the conception and acquisition of the works of art, tales about their authors and previous owners and stories about their protagonists.

This section was created in 2020, which is why the articles refer to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum collection as the Founder’s Collection.