Entitled Dialogues. The Calouste Gulbenkian Collection at the Machado de Castro National Museum, this exhibition brings together 178 works – 93 from the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and 85 from the Machado de Castro National Museum collection – establishing an innovative dialogue between the two collections.

Contrary to the traditional chronological discourse, creations from different cultures, geographies and historical periods, from Antiquity to the Modern Age, are juxtaposed, inviting visitors to discover technical, aesthetic and conceptual affinities.

Among the major works from the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum selected for this unique dialogue are a Roman medallion from Aboukir depicting Alexander the Great and a set of silver and gold coins from the empire.

European art is represented by important works such as the sculpture Virgin and Child attributed to Jean de Liège (c. 1364) and the paintings Bust of Saint Joseph and Saint Catherine by Rogier van der Weyden (1435).

Also on display will be an exceptional set of twelve medieval ivories, diptychs and triptychs for personal devotion, mostly of French origin, and a dozen manuscript books, comprising examples from the 12th to the 15th centuries, including the famous Ayala Book of Hours, made in Flanders around 1495-1505.

Also noteworthy is a selection of the finest Renaissance medals from Mantua, Rimini, Ferrara and Florence; a collection of ceramic objects from Iran and the Iznik production centre; textiles of Iranian and Genoese origin, including velvet and silk draperies, coats and chasubles; and a collection of 19th-century Japanese lacquerware.

The result of an unprecedented partnership, this exhibition is taking place at a time when the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum building is closed for renovation until July 2026. This exhibition will also serve as a pretext for a renovation of the Machado de Castro National Museum.

The exhibition will run from 31 October 2025 to 22 February 2026 on the first floor of the former Episcopal Palace of the Machado de Castro National Museum.