Calouste Gulbenkian Museum

Welcome to the Musee Kah-loost Gool-ben-kee-un, widely considered the finest art museum in all of Portugal and one of the most significant private collections in the world. We are standing in a magnificent urban oasis, just north…

Our journey begins in the ancient world, with a collection of Egyptian artifacts that Gool-ben-kee-un prized above almost all else. He was deeply fascinated by the timelessness and the symbolic power of Egyptian art, and he…

As we move into the Islamic and Oriental galleries, we encounter a world of vibrant color, intricate geometry, and exquisite craftsmanship. Gool-ben-kee-un had a deep personal connection to this region, and his collection of…

The European painting gallery at the Gool-ben-kee-un is a 'who's who' of art history, featuring masterpieces from the Middle Ages to the nineteenth century. Gool-ben-kee-un's taste in painting was just as discerning as his taste…

Perhaps the most unique and breathtaking part of the entire museum is the room dedicated to the work of Rene Lalique. Gool-ben-kee-un was a close friend and the greatest patron of this master of Art Nouveau jewelry and glass. …

After exploring the founder's collection, a walk through the museum's gardens brings you to a separate building: the Modern Art Museum. This collection was established later by the foundation to support and showcase contemporary…

Beyond the paintings and the antiquities, Gool-ben-kee-un's collection includes a magnificent array of decorative arts, particularly from eighteenth-century France. The collector had a great passion for the 'art of living,' and…

As we conclude our tour of the Cal-loost Gool-ben-kee-un Museum, take a moment to reflect on the legacy of the man who made all of this possible. We have traveled through five thousand years of human history, from the banks of…