Over a period of sixty years, Calouste Gulbenkian assembled one of the most remarkable art collections of his time. Before dying, in 1955, he expressed the wish to keep his works together under one roof, and the desire to establish a Foundation that would carry on his legacy. This book outlines the various stages of the lengthy process that led to the making of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum: establishing the Foundation, transporting the artworks from Paris, London and Washington to Lisbon, and the pioneering architectural and curatorial project that shaped every detail of the Museum’s building.

All these moments are extensively documented and accompanied by comprehensive photographic reports, allowing the reader to follow the development of this long-lasting project, which culminated in the Museum’s inauguration in 1969. 

Co-published by the Gulbenkian Museum and Kulturalis, and written by Vera Mariz, curator at the Museum and an expert in collecting and art markets from the 19th and 20th centuries, this is the first in a series of four publications that aims to shed light on the figure of Calouste Gulbenkian and the story of how he assembled his collection, illustrating how it was possible to establish the Foundation in Lisbon, the city where he spent his final years.