The Grão Vasco Museum (''Museu de Grão Vasco'') is an art museum located in the city of Viseu, in Portugal. The museum is named after one of the most important Portuguese painters of the Renaissance, Vasco Fernandes (also known as the Grão Vasco), who had his workshop in Viseu. The museum, founded in 1916, occupies the building of the old Seminary, located beside

Viseu Cathedral Viseu Cathedral is the Catholic bishopric seat of the city of Viseu, in Portugal. The church started being built in the 12th century and is the most important historical monument of the town. It is currently a mix of architectural styles, specially ...

. The building, began in the late 16th century in Mannerist style, has had its interior recently modernised by Porto architect Eduardo Souto de Moura. The main exhibits of the museum are the painted

altarpiece An altarpiece is an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing at the back of or behind the altar of a Christian church. Though most commonly used for a single work of art such as a painting o ...

s executed for Viseu Cathedral during the Renaissance. These include the main altarpiece, executed by a workshop that included the young Vasco Fernandes and was apparently led by

Francisco Henriques Francisco Henriques (died 1518) was a Flemish Renaissance painter active in Portugal in the early 16th century. Born and raised in Amsterdam, he studied in Bruges, where he passed a degree in painting at the University of Groningen. He then went ...

, as well as later altarpieces by a mature Vasco Fernandes and his collaborator,

Gaspar Vaz Gaspar is a given name, given and/or surname of French, German, Portuguese language, Portuguese, and Spanish language, Spanish origin, cognate to Casper (given name) or Casper (surname). It is a name of biblical origin, per Saint Gaspar, one of t ...

. The artistic significance of these altarpieces turn the Grão Vasco Museum into one of the most important art museums in Portugal. The collections also include metalwork, tapestry and sculpture.

External links

The Grão Vasco National Museum on Google Arts & Culture

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grao Vasco Museum

Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga The Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga (; MNAA), also known in English as the National Museum of Ancient Art, is a Portuguese national art museum located in Lisbon. With over 40,000 items spanning a vast collection of painting, sculpture, goldware, fur ...

National museums of Portugal Mannerist architecture in Portugal Art museums established in 1916 1916 establishments in Portugal Museums in Viseu District