You don’t need to be in Lisbon to access the wonders of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum’s collection. Although the Museum is temporarily closed due to COVID-19, it is possible to embark on a virtual tour from the comfort of your own home.

The Founder’s Collection

You can now explore each room of the Founder’s Collection, featuring objects from Ancient Egypt and the Middle East or works by artists like Rembrandt, Turner, Monet. In “A Collection of Stories”, several curiosities are revealed about the making and acquisition of the works, together with tales about their authors and previous owners.

The Modern Collection

Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso, Almada Negreiros, Paula Rego and Vieira da Silva are some of the artists represented in the Modern Collection, which gathers one of the most complete collections of Portuguese modern and contemporary art, from the end of the 20th century to the present.

Civic Role Case Study

You can also find this excellent case study of Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, with contributions from the Museum’s director Penelope Curtis and head of education Susana Gomes da Silva. The profile, written by Maddy Costa, is one of 80 international case studies we commissioned to highlight arts organisations that are pushing the boundaries of civic practice.

(Image: Corações ao Alto performance at the Founder’s Collection of Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, June 2018.Photographer: Márcia Lessa)