Home Sweet Casa-Museu

José Malhoa, O Ateliê do Artista. (1893-94)
 Oil on canvas, S. Paulo Museum of Art.

It's rather serendipitous that I should find myself in front of the Casa-Museu of Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves in the Avenidas Novas section of Lisboa. This early twentieth-century Art Nouveau residence was once home to the well-known painter José Malhoa and it had been a recipient of an architectural design award, the Prémio Valmor in 1905 (Gonçalves acquired the house in the 1930s). I had been walking by and noticed a group of schoolchildren about to enter the building, and finding out that it was a small museum, I decided to make a return trip to the neighborhood to check out the place.

I had no idea what to expect when I entered the building. The entrance led to a rather eccentric space that contained a small museum shop, some stairs and a couple of gallery spaces. Dr.Gonçalves (1888-1965) had been a well respected ophthalmologist whose patients and friends had included many of Lisboa's elite families. One of his patients was Calouste Gulbenkian, who was a major art collector.

A friendly docent accompanied my tour of the museum. Calling this a casa-museu (house-museum) is fitting since part of the building retains Dr. Gonçalves' living quarters. I got the sense that he could return at any moment. The furnishings and fixtures of the sitting room, bedroom and bathroom were a throwback to the early twentieth century and I liked the inclusion of these spaces in contrast to the often sanitized atmospheres of museum exhibitions.

Casa-Museu Dr. Anastácio Gonçalves/
Casa de Malhoa (1904-05), Lisboa.
Find the image at:
http://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prémio_Valmor 

The doctor not only had a penchant for collecting but for travel as well. There was a section containing items collected on his many journeys (pamphlets and the like). The bulk of the collection however, is made up of Chinese porcelain, late 19th century/early 20th century Portuguese painting (although there is a Courbet) and 17thC-19thC European furniture. There is also a considerable library. The collection is definitely eclectic but shows the changing tastes and interests of the collector.

The space is unusual (consisting of two residences that have been altered) and this is sometimes painfully obvious in exhibit spaces (such as the one for porcelains that was too narrow) but it also shows a wish to keep with the basic integrity of the original space.

After the visit I was left thinking that although large-scale institutions are important anchors for cultural development, museums based on one private collection play significant roles in highlighting the relationships between people, their collecting habits and the objects that eventually make their way into their homes(or casa-museus). I'm becoming convinced that this might be more reflective of how a culture has developed. There are many other issues that play into this of course (in terms of funding, curatorial visions etc.), so I am left contemplating these and other questions as I write this post.

For more on the architectural design award Valmor, check out this blog.
For a couple of trends and opinions concerning private art collecting and public exhibition, check this article, and this article.