Painting in the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

This richly illustrated museum collection catalog offers an in depth exploration of the painting holdings of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon, one of Europe’s most distinctive private art collections transformed into a public museum. Built over more than half a century by Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, the collection reflects a remarkably personal vision of European art history spanning nearly five hundred years.

The publication focuses on the museum’s paintings collection, particularly its exceptional strengths in portraiture and landscape painting. From Old Master traditions to later European schools, the catalog reveals Gulbenkian’s refined and highly individual taste as a collector. The selection balances celebrated masterpieces with lesser known works, creating a broader portrait of European painting across generations.

Produced in collaboration with the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation and published by Skira Editore, this volume serves both as a scholarly museum reference and as a visually compelling art book for collectors, researchers, and readers interested in the history of European painting and museum collections.

With its strong institutional context, high quality reproductions, and broad chronological scope, this catalog is an important addition for anyone interested in museum collections, collecting history, and the evolution of European art.