National Museum Soares dos Reis

Category: Civil Architecture > Palace

District: Porto > Porto > Porto > Carregal

Location

The National Museum Soares dos Reis is located in the Palácio dos Carrancas, in the parish of Miragaia, in Porto.

History of the Palace

The Palácio dos Carrancas, where the museum is housed, was built in the 18th century and belonged to Manuel Mendes de Morais e Castro, an influential merchant. Later, it was sold to Santa Casa da Misericórdia and acquired by the State in 1940.

Museum Inauguration

The museum was inaugurated in the Palácio dos Carrancas in 1942, after adaptation works. Initially, the building had to be remodeled to better house the collections of fine arts and sculpture.

Origin of the Museum

The museum was founded in 1833, being the first public art museum in Portugal. It was initially located in the Convent of Santo António da Cidade, which is now the Porto Municipal Public Library.

Museum Name

In 1911, the museum was named after the sculptor Soares dos Reis, in his honor. His most famous work, "O Desterrado" (The Exile), in marble, is one of the highlights of the collection.

Art Collections

The museum houses more than 13,000 pieces, with about 3,000 dedicated to drawing and painting. The rest include sculptures, engravings, decorative arts pieces such as furniture, porcelain, textiles, glass, and jewelry, as well as archaeological collections.

Represented Artists

Among the artists with works exhibited in the museum are painters such as Domingos Sequeira, Silva Porto, Aurélia de Souza, and sculptors such as Soares dos Reis, António Teixeira Lopes, and Rodolfo Pinto do Couto.

Recent Renovations

The museum underwent a major renovation between 1992 and 2001, led by architect Fernando Távora, which modernized and expanded the exhibition space.

Temporary Exhibitions

The museum organizes various temporary exhibitions, often in partnership with other institutions. An example is the exhibition "Azul no Azul" (Blue on Blue), which celebrated the 150th anniversary of "O Desterrado" (The Exile).

Sources: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museu_Nacional_Soares_dos_Reis

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