The new long-term exhibition at the Soares dos Reis National Museum has just overtaken the 40,000 visitor mark.
Opened on April 13th, and marking the full reopening of the museum, after the requalification intervention, the long-term exhibition brings together the most important collection of Portuguese art from the 19th century. In total there are 1133 pieces that tell the history of the museum, distributed across 27 rooms.
It should be noted that, from the beginning of the year until the end of July, the Soares dos Reis National Museum has already registered a total of 43,387 visitors, of which 34.5% are foreigners.
With a history of almost 200 years, the Soares dos Reis National Museum – the first public art museum in the country – has been repositioning itself, now presenting a new perspective on its collections.
The long-term exhibition presents a journey with two complementary narratives. The first reflects the history of the Museum and the way in which the collections were integrated; the second values artists and their works.
In addition to the interest generated by the long-term exhibition, the current temporary exhibition – Portreto de la Animo – has also registered a very significant turnout of the public.
This is an exhibition of portraits and self-portraits that are part of the Treger Saint Silvestre collection, one of the most important and extensive private collections of Brut Art in the world.
Composed of around 150 works by 99 artists, the exhibition also includes several pieces from the collection of the Museu Nacional Soares dos Reis, placed in dialogue with pieces from the Treger Saint Silvestre Collection.
Started in the 1980s, the Treger Saint Silvestre Collection, in storage at the Centro de Arte Oliva, comprises a numerous collection of works of Art Brut, being one of the most important and extensive private collections in the world and counting on a large number of recognized authors.
The exhibition “Portreto de la Animo”, according to curator António Saint Silvestre considered “the largest exhibition of Brute Art ever held in the Iberian Peninsula”, is promoted in partnership with the Municipal Council of São João da Madeira, the Centro de Arte Oliva and collectors António Saint Silvestre and Richard Treger, with patronage support from Fundação Millennium bcp and Lusitânia Seguros and institutional support from Círculo Dr. José de Figueiredo – Association of Friends of Soares dos Reis National Museum.
It will be open to the public until November 12, 2023.