Teixeira Lopes House-Museum

Category: Civil Architecture > Museum

District: Porto > Vila Nova de Gaia > Vila Nova de Gaia > Mafamude

Location

The Casa-Museu Teixeira Lopes is located in the Mafamude area, an integral part of Vila Nova de Gaia. Situated within this urban context of the municipality, the house offers a point of cultural and artistic interest, easily accessible for visitors to the locality.

A House with History

This cultural space originated as the residence and studio of the sculptor António Teixeira Lopes. The building was constructed in 1895, designed by his brother, the architect José Teixeira Lopes. The artist himself decided to donate the house and his vast collection to the municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia in 1933, with the aim of transforming it into a museum accessible to the community and future generations. Teixeira Lopes continued to live in the house until his death in 1942, making it the first residence of a Portuguese artist to be converted into a house-museum.

Architecture and Atmosphere

The architecture of the Casa-Museu Teixeira Lopes reflects a style with regional characteristics, designed to serve as both a residence and a workplace. The building features an interior courtyard that houses various artworks, providing a unique atmosphere. Inside, a grand staircase leads to the exhibition spaces, which aim to evoke the atmosphere experienced by the Master, with period furniture and personal objects arranged throughout the different compartments.

Artistic Treasures

Inside the Casa-Museu, visitors will find a rich and varied collection that extends beyond the work of its founder. In addition to António Teixeira Lopes' sculptures, maquettes, and studies, pieces by great names in Portuguese painting and sculpture are on display, many of whom were friends and frequent visitors to the house, such as Domingos Sequeira, José Malhoa, or Soares dos Reis. The collection also includes a significant set of decorative arts, notably faience, ceramics (including pieces from old Gaia factories), and furniture, which help provide a perspective on the daily life and artistic environment of the era.

A Complementary Legacy: Diogo de Macedo

Adjacent to the Casa-Museu Teixeira Lopes are the Diogo de Macedo Galleries. This space houses the collection of this other important Portuguese sculptor, critic, and art historian (born in Mafamude), who was a student of Teixeira Lopes. The galleries complement the Casa-Museu's collection with their own visual and decorative arts collections, encompassing works from the 16th to the 20th centuries, thus enriching the cultural and artistic offering available at the site.

The Living Studio

An interesting particularity of this site is the continued operation of the original studios where Master António Teixeira Lopes worked. These workshops remain active, playing a relevant role in the production of statuary in Portugal, serving as a space that keeps alive the connection to the artistic practice and technical legacy of the sculptor.

A Cultural Hub

In Teixeira Lopes' time, his house was already a notable meeting place for artists, intellectuals, and other prominent figures of society and culture of the era. Currently, in addition to preserving the memory and work of the artists, the complex of the Casa-Museu and Galleries functions as a dynamic hub in Gaia, regularly hosting temporary exhibitions by relevant names in plastic arts, which always ensures novelties for visitors.

License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/deed.pt