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{{Infobox museum/wikidata|locmapin=São Paulo City#Brazil}} {{Short description|Art museum in São Paulo, Brazil}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
The '''São Paulo Museum of Art''' ({{lang-pt|Museu de Arte de São Paulo}}, or ''{{lang|pt|MASP}}'') is an ] located on ] in the city of ], ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://geographic.org/streetview/view.php?place=Av.+Paulista%2C+1578%2C+S%C3%A3o+Paulo+-+SP%2C+01310-200%2C+Brazil |title=Av. Paulista 1578, São Paulo, interactive Google street view photo and map
{{cleanup|reason=A lot of this text is in such poor English that it is almost incomprehensible|date=August 2021}}
|work=Geographic.org |accessdate=2016-08-10}}</ref><ref name="CBC 1">{{citation | title= Authorities seek shut-down of renowned São Paulo art museum| publisher=CBCNews| year= | url= http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2008/01/19/saopaulo-museum-court.html| accessdate=2009-06-25 | date=2008-01-19}}</ref> It is well known for its headquarters, a 1968 concrete and glass structure designed by ], whose main body is supported by two lateral beams over a {{convert|74|m}} freestanding space, considered a landmark of the city and a main symbol of modern Brazilian architecture.<ref name="Itau Encyclopedia">{{citation | title= São Paulo Museum of Art | publisher=Encyclopaedia Itaú Cultural Visual Arts| year= | url= http://www.itaucultural.org.br/aplicexternas/enciclopedia_ic/index.cfm?fuseaction=marcos_texto_ing&cd_verbete=4111&cd_item=10&cd_idioma=28556| accessdate=2009-06-25}}</ref>
{{Infobox museum
| name = The São Paulo Museum of Art
| native_name = Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand
| native_name_lang = pt
| logo = Logo MASP.svg
| image = MASP Brazil.jpg
| caption = The São Paulo Museum of Art in ]
| map_type = Brazil São Paulo City#Brazil
| map_caption = Location of São Paulo Museum of Art in São Paulo
| mapframe = yes
| mapframe-caption = Interactive fullscreen map
| mapframe-zoom = 12
| mapframe-marker = museum
| mapframe-wikidata = yes
| coordinates = {{WikidataCoord|display=it}}
| established = 1947
| location = ] 1578, São Paulo, Brazil
| visitors = 729,325 (in 2019)<ref>{{cite web|title=Relatõrio Anual de Atividas MASP 2019|url=https://assets.masp.org.br/uploads/about-governance-items/w40T7ijW1FQyILTgsWhRYLLnQe6PiYeQ.pdf|publisher=São Paulo Museum of Art|access-date=8 June 2023|page=43|year=2019|language=pt}}</ref>
| director = Heitor Martins
| curator = ]
| architect = ], horizontal block & Martin Corullon,<ref>http://www.metroarquitetos.com.br</ref> vertical block
| website = {{URL|www.masp.org.br/}}
| publictransit = {{rint|saopaulo|metro}} {{rint|saopaulo|2}} ]
}}
The '''São Paulo Museum of Art''' ({{langx|pt|Museu de Arte de São Paulo}}, or ''{{lang|pt|MASP}}'') is an ] in ], Brazil.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://geographic.org/streetview/view.php?place=Museum+of+Art+of+S%C3%A3o+Paulo+Assis+Chateaubriand%2C+S%C3%A3o+Paulo%2C+Brazil | title= Museum of Art of São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand, São Paulo, Brazil, interactive Google street view photo and map | work=Geographic.org | access-date=10 August 2016}}</ref><ref name="CBC 1">{{citation | title= Authorities seek shut-down of renowned São Paulo art museum| publisher=CBCNews| url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/authorities-seek-shut-down-of-renowned-sao-paulo-art-museum-1.705542| access-date=25 June 2009 | date=19 January 2008}}</ref> It is well known for the architectural significance of its headquarters, a 1968 concrete and glass structure designed by ].<ref name="Itau Encyclopedia">{{citation | title= São Paulo Museum of Art | publisher=Encyclopaedia Itaú Cultural Visual Arts| url= http://www.itaucultural.org.br/aplicexternas/enciclopedia_ic/index.cfm?fuseaction=marcos_texto_ing&cd_verbete=4111&cd_item=10&cd_idioma=28556| access-date=25 June 2009}}</ref> It is considered a landmark of the city and a symbol of modern Brazilian architecture.


The museum is a ] founded in 1947 by ] and ]. MASP distinguished itself for many important initiatives concerning ] and ] in Brazil, as well as for its pioneering role as a ].<ref name="Hipermeios">{{citation|title=Preciosidades de um MASP sessentão |publisher=Hipermeios |year= |url=http://www.hipermeios.com.br/spip.php?article59 |accessdate=2009-06-25 |language=pt |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710080155/http://www.hipermeios.com.br/spip.php?article59 |archivedate=July 10, 2009 }}</ref> It was also the first Brazilian museum interested in ] artistic tendencies. The museum was founded in 1947 by ] and ], and is maintained as a non-profit institution. MASP distinguished itself by its involvement in several important initiatives concerning ] and ] in Brazil, as well as for its pioneering role as a cultural center.<ref name="Hipermeios">{{citation|title=Preciosidades de um MASP sessentão |publisher=Hipermeios |url=http://www.hipermeios.com.br/spip.php?article59 |access-date=25 June 2009 |language=pt |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710080155/http://www.hipermeios.com.br/spip.php?article59 |archive-date=10 July 2009 }}</ref> It was also the first Brazilian museum to display ] art.


The museum is internationally recognized for its collection of European art, considered the finest in Latin America and all ].<ref name="Itau Encyclopedia"/><ref name="FP Veja">{{citation | title= O Masp pede socorro| publisher=Forum Permanente| year= | url=http://forumpermanente.incubadora.fapesp.br/portal/.imprensa/veja_sp| accessdate=2009-06-25|language=pt}}</ref> It also houses an emphatic assemblage of ], ] and ]s, as well as smaller collections of ] and ], ], ], and others, amounting to more than 8,000 pieces. MASP also has one of the largest art libraries in the country. The entire collection has been named by Brazil's Institute of History and Art to the Brazilian National Heritage list.<ref name="IPHAN">{{citation | title= IPHAN – Official note| publisher=IPHAN| year= | url=http://www.cultura.gov.br/site/2007/12/21/assalto-ao-masp/| accessdate=2009-06-25|language=pt}}</ref> The museum is internationally recognized for its collection of European art, considered to be one of the finest in both Latin America and the ].<ref name="Itau Encyclopedia"/><ref name="FP Veja">{{citation| title=O Masp pede socorro| publisher=Forum Permanente| url=http://forumpermanente.incubadora.fapesp.br/portal/.imprensa/veja_sp| access-date=25 June 2009| language=pt| url-status=dead| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090710101910/http://forumpermanente.incubadora.fapesp.br/portal/.imprensa/veja_sp| archive-date=10 July 2009}}</ref> It also houses an important collection of ], ] and drawings, as well as smaller collections of ] and ], ], ], and others, amounting to more than 8,000 pieces. MASP also contains one of the largest art libraries in the country. The entire collection was placed on the Brazilian National Heritage list by Brazil's Institute of History and Art.<ref name="IPHAN">{{citation | title= IPHAN – Official note| publisher=IPHAN| url=http://www.cultura.gov.br/site/2007/12/21/assalto-ao-masp/| access-date=25 June 2009|language=pt}}</ref>


==History== ==History==

===General context=== ===General context===
].]] ].]]
].]] ].]]


At the end of the 1940s, ] was passing through large structural changes, consolidating the transition from an era dependent on ] cycle to one of growing industrialization. The ] specifically was attracting many industries and workers from many regions of the country and the world, and the city of São Paulo, in particular, had established itself as the most important industrial hub in the country. At the end of the 1940s, the ] was going through large structural changes as a result of accelerating industrialization. The city of São Paulo subsequently established itself as the most important industrial hub in the country. Prior to that time, São Paulo's role in modern art had been marked by the ] of 1922. Despite the importance this event had enjoyed in the 1920s, Modernism wouldn't draw much attention of city dwellers and institutions in the following decades. There was only one art museum in São Paulo, the ], solely devoted to ], and a commercial ].

Regarding the artistic life, however, São Paulo's most notable reference was still the ] of 1922. Despite the importance this event had enjoyed in the 1920s, Modernism wouldn't draw much attention of city dwellers and institutions in the following decades. There was only one art museum in São Paulo, the ], solely devoted to ], besides a commercial ].

], founder and owner of ''],'' or "Associated Daily Press", the largest media and press conglomerate of Brazil at the time, was one of the most influential individuals of this period. Jockingly nicknamed "King of Brazil", he was a very active partaker in the national moves toward modernization. Backed by the power of his press conglomerate, Chateaubriand used to pressure Brazilian political and economical elite to help him in his "public campaigns". In the mid-1940s, Chateaubriand created the ''Campanha da Aviação'' ("aviation campaign"), which consisted of vigorous fundraising to acquire training aircraft, at the aim of endowing the country with a proper aviation system. As a result, more than one thousand aircraft were donated to Brazilian aviation schools.


After the end of the ''Campanha da Aviação'', Chateaubriand would start a new campaign, with the boldly intent of acquiring ]s to form an ] of international standard in Brazil.<ref name="Historia do MASP 1">{{Citation|last=Bardi|first=P.M.|title=História do MASP|publisher=Instituto Quadrante|location=São Paulo|year=1992|pages=10–14|isbn=85-7234-019-X}}</ref> He intended to host the museum in ], but chose São Paulo where he believed it would be easier to gather the necessary funds, since this city was enjoying a very prosperous moment. At the same time, the European art market had been deeply influenced by the end of World War II, making it possible to acquire fine artworks for reasonable prices. ], founder and owner of the ''],'' or "Associated Daily Press", the largest media and press conglomerate of Brazil at the time, was one of the most influential individuals of this period. In the late 1940s, Chateaubriand started a campaign to acquire ]s to form an ] of international renown in Brazil.<ref name="Historia do MASP 1">{{Citation|last=Bardi|first=P.M.|title=História do MASP|publisher=Instituto Quadrante|location=São Paulo|year=1992|pages=10–14|isbn=85-7234-019-X}}</ref> He intended to host the museum in ], but ultimately chose São Paulo, where he believed it would be easier to gather the necessary funds, since this city was enjoying a very prosperous moment.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Anagnost |first=Adrian |title=Spatial Orders, Social Forms: Art and the City in Modern Brazil |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2022 |isbn=9780300254013 |pages=100}}</ref> At the same time, the European art market had been deeply influenced by the end of ], making it possible to acquire fine artworks for reasonable prices.


Chateaubriand would need the help of an expert in the selection of the artworks. With that purpose, he invited Pietro Maria Bardi, an Italian professor, ] and ], former owner of galleries in ] and Rome, to help him create a "Museum of Classical and Modern Art". Bardi objected that there shouldn't be distinctions among arts, proposing simply a "Museum of Art", and accepted the invitation.<ref name="ILBPMB 1">{{citation | title= MASP – Um museu no país das idéias audazes| publisher=Instituto Lina Bo e P.M. Bardi| year= | url=http://www.institutobardi.com.br/bardi/masp/index.html| accessdate=2009-06-25|language=pt}}</ref> Planning to lead the project for only a year, Bardi would dedicate the rest of his life to it. He moved to Brazil together with his wife, the architect ], and brought along his library and his private art collection. With the help of Pietro Maria Bardi, an Italian professor, ], ] and former owner of galleries in ] and Rome, Chateaubriand created a "Museum of Classical and Modern Art".<ref name="ILBPMB 1">{{citation | title= MASP – Um museu no país das idéias audazes| publisher=Instituto Lina Bo e P.M. Bardi| url=http://www.institutobardi.com.br/bardi/masp/index.html| access-date=25 June 2009|language=pt}}</ref> Though he initially planned to lead the project for only a year, Bardi dedicated the rest of his life to it. He moved to Brazil together with his wife, the architect ], and brought along his library and his private art collection.


===The first steps (1947–1957)=== ===Beginnings (1947–1957)===
] (Italian, 1445–1510). '']'', 1490/1500. Tempera on panel, diameter 74 cm.]] ] (Italian, 1445–1510). '']'', 1490/1500. Tempera on panel, diameter 74 cm.]]
] (French, 1510–1572). ''The Bath of Diana'', 1559/60. Oil on wood, 78 x 110 cm.]] ] (French, 1510–1572). ''The Bath of Diana'', 1559/60. Oil on wood, 78 x 110 cm.]]


The museum was inaugurated and opened to public visitation on October 2, 1947, displaying the first acquisitions, amongst which ]es by ] and ]. In these first years of activity, the museum was located on the first floor of the Diarios Associados headquarters. ] was in charge of adapting the building to the needs of the museum, dividing it into four distinct areas: art gallery, a didactic exposition room about ], temporary exhibition room and an auditorium. MASP was the first Brazilian institution interested in acquiring works of ]. The museum would quickly become a meeting point for artists, students and intellectuals, attracted not only by its holdings, but also because of the workshops and courses about history of art, temporary exhibitions of national and foreigner artists, and the educative program, open to receive manifestations of multiple fields of art, such as theater, cinema and music. The museum was inaugurated and opened to the public on 2 October 1947, displaying the first acquisitions, among them ]es by ] and ]. In these first years of activity, the museum was located on the upper floors of the Diarios Associados headquarters in the ] neighborhood of São Paulo. Architect ] was in charge of adapting the building to the needs of the museum, dividing it into four distinct areas: an art gallery, a didactic exposition room about the ], a temporary exhibition room and an auditorium.


MASP was the first Brazilian art museum interested in acquiring works of ]. The museum quickly became a meeting point for artists, students and intellectuals, attracted not only by its holdings, but also by the workshops and art courses it offered.
In the 1950s the museum increased its didactic performance, creating the Institute of Contemporary Art (offering workshops of ], ], ], ], dance and ]), the ] School (presently Superior School of Propaganda and Marketing), organizing debates about cinema and ] and creating a juvenile ] and a ]. The courses were frequently given by important names of the Brazilian artistic scene, such as the painters ] and ], the ]s ] and ], the ] ], and the motion-picture technician ].


In the 1950s, the museum created the Institute of Contemporary Art (offering workshops of ], drawing, painting, sculpture, dance and ]),<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Nelson |first=Adele |date=2016 |title=The Bauhaus in Brazil: Pedagogy and Practice |url=https://direct.mit.edu/artm/article/5/2/27-49/18005 |journal=ARTMargins |language= |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=27–49 |doi=10.1162/ARTM_a_00146 |s2cid=57566939 |issn=2162-2574}}</ref> the Publicity School (presently Superior School of Propaganda and Marketing), organizing debates about cinema and literature and creating a youth orchestra and a ]. The courses were frequently given by important names of the Brazilian artistic scene, such as the painters ] and ], the architects ] and ], the sculptor ], and the motion-picture technician ].
Along with the amplification of the ], the museum witnessed the growth in importance of its collection and the international recognition of the institution. Between 1953 and 1957, a selection of 100 ]s of the museum's collection traveled throughout European museums, such as ] (Paris) and the ] (London), in a series of exhibitions organized with the intent of consolidating the collection. In 1957, the collection was also displayed in the United States, at the ] in ] and in the ]. The following year, the holdings of MASP were exhibited at other Brazilian venues, such as the ], in Rio de Janeiro.


Along with the amplification of the ], the museum expanded its collection and began to be recognized internationally. Between 1953 and 1957, a selection of 100 ]s housed in the museum traveled throughout European museums, such as ] (Paris) and the ] (London), in a series of exhibitions organized with the intent of consolidating the collection. In 1957, the collection was also displayed in the United States at the ] in New York City and in the ]. The following year, the holdings of MASP were exhibited at other Brazilian venues, such as the ], in Rio de Janeiro. This established the museum on a global level.
The high-level of art excellence of its exhibitions promoted the museum those first years. Great notoriety and prestige were the results, which increased attendance and greater interest in fine arts.


===Consolidation of the museum=== ===Consolidation of the museum===
] (Dutch, 1606–1669). '']'', c. 1635. Oil on panel, 57 x 44 cm.]] ] (Dutch, 1606–1669). '']'', {{Circa|1635}}. Oil on panel, 57 x 44 cm.]]


The collection's rising amount and importance soon required the construction of a building to headquarter the museum. With that purpose, the São Paulo City Hall donated a plot of ground, previously occupied by the ] Trianon – a traditional meeting point of the Paulistano wealthy, which had been demolished in 1951 – to host the first edition of ]. The ground on ] had been donated to the ] with the condition that the view to the downtown area and the valley of the Nove de Julho Avenue be preserved. The collection's rising growth and importance soon required the construction of a building to headquarter the museum. With that purpose, the São Paulo City Hall donated a plot of ground, previously occupied by the ] Trianon – a traditional meeting point of the Paulistano wealthy, which had been demolished in 1951 – to host the first edition of ]. The ground on ] had been donated to the ] with the condition that the view to the downtown area and the valley of the Nove de Julho Avenue be preserved.


The new MASP building is the brainchild of Lina Bo Bardi. In order to preserve the required view of the downtown area, Bardi idealized a sustained building, supported by four massive concrete plain rectangular columns. The construction is considered to be unique worldwide for its peculiarity: the main body of the building stands on four lateral supporting pillars, generating a free area of 74 meters underneath the sustained building. Constructed between 1956 and 1968, the new site of the museum was inaugurated on November 7 by ] of the United Kingdom during her visit to Brazil. The new MASP building was the brainchild of Lina Bo Bardi. To preserve the required view of the downtown area, Bardi idealized a building suspended above ground, supported by four massive rectangular columns made of concrete. The construction is considered to be unique worldwide for its peculiarity: the main body of the building stands on four lateral supporting pillars, generating a free area of 74 meters underneath the sustained building. Constructed between 1956 and 1968, the new site of the museum was inaugurated on 7 November by ] of the United Kingdom during her visit to Brazil.


Assis Chateaubriand would not get to see the inauguration of the new building. He died months before, victime of ]. The media empire which he raised had also been facing difficulties since the beginning of the 1960s. Growing debts and the competition in the media market by ]'s press conglomerate – caused the scarcity of the funds which had permitted the gathering of the collection. Assis Chateaubriand would not get to see the inauguration of the new building. He died months before, a victim of ]. The media empire which he developed had also been facing difficulties since the beginning of the 1960s. Growing debts and the competition in the media market by ]'s press conglomerate – caused the scarcity of the funds which had permitted the gathering of the collection.


The overthrow of ] and the death of its founder made the government intervene and pay for some of the debts contracted with foreign institutions. During the government of president ], ] granted a loan to honor the financial obligations of the institution and secured the loan with its art collections. Years later, in the 1970s, the debt with the Brazilian government was negotiated and paid off. The overthrow of ] and the death of its founder made the government intervene and pay for some of the debts contracted with foreign institutions. During the government of president ], ] granted a loan to honor the financial obligations of the institution and secured the loan with its art collections. Years later, in the 1970s, the museum's debt with the Brazilian government was negotiated and paid off.


In 1969, in response to a request by the museum, the Brazilian Institute for Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) registered MASP's holdings as part of the national ]. Then, the collection became inalienable. It is part of Brazilian public patrimony, and any movement of works of the collection to outside of the country needs the authorization by IPHAN. In 1969, in response to a request by the museum, the Brazilian Institute for Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) registered MASP's holdings as part of the national ].


Notwithstanding the financial problems of the institution, São Paulo Museum of Art undergoes an even greater growing of its international recognizing. In the 1970s the museum gathered notoriety in the ] by organizing many exhibitions using selected works of its collection at Japanese museums. In 1973, the collection was presented at the ] in ]. MASP's collection was presented again in Japan in 1978/79, 1982/83, 1990/91, and 1995. In 1992, works of the ] and Brazilian ] were exhibited in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, in ], and in the Biblioteca Luís Angel Aragón, in ]. In the 1970s the museum gained fame in the ] by organizing many exhibitions using selected works of its collection at Japanese museums. In 1973, the collection was presented at the ] in ]. MASP's collection was presented again in Japan in 1978/79, 1982/83, 1990/91, and 1995. In 1992, works of the ] and Brazilian ] were exhibited in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, in ], and in the Biblioteca Luís Angel Aragón, in ].

In 2011, MASP received an important donation of Asian Art and artcrafts from Ambassador Godoy to India, which is said to have placed MASP under the same category of the ] of New York, which houses items of anthropological interest as well as fine arts. Before that, MASP already figured amongst the 19 finest institutions of art in the world, which include D'Orsay in Paris and the Met itself. A new wing to harbor the collection will be dedicated in 2012, when MASP's restaurant and offices will be transferred to a building under restoration to its left.


==The building== ==The building==
] ]
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]
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The present building of the museum was constructed by the São Paulo City Hall and inaugurated in 1968, with the presence of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. It is famous for its remarkable ] structure and it is considered one of the landmarks of the Brazilian ]. The building should be raised in the formerly site of ] Trianon, on ] from where it would be possible to watch the downtown area and the ]. Joaquim Eugênio de Lima, the ] who donated the plot of ground to the City Hall, tied the donation to an express commitment that no edification should ever be constructed in that plot that would harm the amplitude of the ]. Therefore, the project demanded an underground construction or, otherwise, a sustained one. The architect ] and engineer José Carlos Figueiredo Ferraz chose both alternatives. They conceived an underground block as well as a sustained structure, which would stand eight meters above the floor, with the use of four pillars connected by two huge concrete beams. Underneath those beams there lay what was considered a boldness, meaning a free space of {{convert|74|m}} between the pillars and underneath the beams; the largest in the world at that time.<ref>Maciel, Carlos Alberto. . Retrieved on 2007-6-26.</ref> The building inaugurated the so-called protented technique ] in Brazil. Construction on the present building of the museum began in 1957, and the building was inaugurated in 1968 and has 25 m high. MASP is famous for its remarkable Brazilian ] structure, and it is considered one of the landmarks of city. It is located on the former site of ] Trianon on ], from which it was possible to see the Centro of São Paulo at that time and the ] beyond. José Borges de Figueiredo, the investor who sold the plot of ground to the City Hall, wrote a non-binding letter to the administration, asking that it to be preserved as a "public place in perpetuity". While in the following years multiple proposed projects ignored his wish, the architect ] and engineer José Carlos Figueiredo Ferraz ultimately conceived an underground block as well as a reinforced concrecte in tension suspended structure. The structure stands 8 meters above the ground, supported by 4 pillars connected by two huge concrete beams. A free space of {{convert|74|m}} between the pillars was the largest free span in the world at that time.<ref>Maciel, Carlos Alberto. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927034338/http://www.mdc.arq.br/mdc/txt/mdc03-txt04.pdf |date=27 September 2007 }}. Retrieved 26 June 2007.</ref> The building inaugurated the so-called protected ] technique in Brazil. Each of the 2 floors of exposition has some 7 meters of ceiling.


In the construction of approximately {{convert|10,000|m2|sqft}} there are – besides the permanent and temporary exhibition rooms], photo gallery, film gallery, video gallery, two auditoriums, restaurant, a store, workshop rooms, administrative offices and a technical reserved area. The building's installations and finishing are homely, as Lina Bo herself describes: "Concrete in sight, whitewash, flagstone flooring covering the great Civic Hall, tempered glass, plastic walls. Industrial black rubber flooring covering inner spaces. The belvedere is a ‘square’, with plants and flowers around, paved with parallelepipeds, according to Iberian-Brazilian tradition. There are also water spaces, small water mirrors with aquatic plants.<ref name="CEDAC">CEDAC. . Retrieved on 2007-6-26.</ref> I didn’t search for beauty. I’ve searched for freedom".<ref>Oliveira, Fernanda. . Retrieved on 2007-6-26.</ref> In 2003, the building was also registered as national patrimony by Brazilian Institute for Historic and Artistic Heritage. In the construction, totalling approximately {{convert|10000|m2|sqft}}, there are – besides the permanent and temporary exhibition galleries – library, photo gallery, film gallery, video gallery, 2 auditoriums, restaurant, store, workshop rooms, administrative offices and a technical area. The building's installations and finishing are homely, as Lina Bo herself described: "Concrete visible, whitewash, a flagstone flooring covering the great Civic Hall, tempered glass, plastic walls. Industrial black rubber flooring covering inner spaces. The belvedere is a 'square', with plants and flowers around, paved with parallelepipeds, according to Iberian-Brazilian tradition. There are also water spaces, small water mirrors with aquatic plants.<ref name="CEDAC">CEDAC. . Retrieved 2007–6–26.</ref> I didn't search for beauty. I've searched for freedom".<ref>Oliveira, Fernanda. {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061012213422/http://www.archphoto.it/IMAGES/OLIVEIRA/N/Oliveira%20portogues.htm |date=12 October 2006 }}. Retrieved 26 June 2007.</ref> In 2003, the building was also registered as national patrimony by Brazilian Institute for Historic and Artistic Heritage.


In the museographic area, Lina Bo Bardi also innovated by using tempered ] sheets leaned on concrete blocks bases as display supports for the paintings. The intention is to imitate the position of the canvas on the painter's easel. In the reverse of these supports, which are not used anymore, there were planks with information about the painter and the work. Paradoxically, the museum abandoned this model of exhibition at the same time when, at the end of the 1990s, it starts to be noticed and implemented by foreign institutions. In the museographic area, Lina Bo Bardi also innovated by using tempered ] sheets leaned on concrete blocks bases as display supports for the paintings. The intention is to imitate the position of the canvas on the painter's easel, but it also has roots in interwar Italian exhibition design.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Anagnost |first=Adrian |date=2019 |title=Limitless Museum: P. M. Bardi's Aesthetic Reeducation |url=https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/1/article/744787 |journal=Modernism/Modernity |volume=26 |issue=4 |pages=687–725 |doi=10.1353/mod.2019.0055 |s2cid=214083017 |issn=1080-6601}}</ref> In the reverse of these supports, which are not used anymore, there were labels with information about the painter and the work. Paradoxically, the museum abandoned this model of exhibition at the end of the 1990s, when the method was beginning to be noticed and implemented by foreign institutions and artists.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Anagnost |first=Adrian |title=Spatial Orders, Social Forms: Art and the City in Modern Brazil |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2022 |isbn=9780300254013 |pages=218–219n112}}</ref>


Between 1996 and 2001, the current administration of the museum undertook a vast and controversial ]. Notwithstanding the indispensable restoration of the general structure, the architect and former director of the institution ] determined the substitution of the original floor conceived by Lina Bo, the installation of a second elevator, the construction of a third underground floor, and the substitution of the water mirrors for gardens. Many architects allege that the reform caused a profound discharacterization of Lina's original project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canalcontemporaneo.art.br/brasa/archives/000307.html |title=MASP pede socorro! |language=Portuguese |author=João Domingues |publisher=] |date=2004-10-28 |accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> Between 1996 and 2001, the current administration of the museum undertook a vast and controversial reform. Despite the indispensable restoration of the general structure, dramatic changes implemented by the architect and former director of the institution ] included the substitution of the original floor conceived by Lina Bo, the installation of a second elevator, the construction of a third underground floor, and the substitution of the water mirrors for gardens. Some architects allege that the reform caused a profound distortion of Lina's original project.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.canalcontemporaneo.art.br/brasa/archives/000307.html |title=MASP pede socorro! |language=pt |author=João Domingues |publisher=] |date=28 October 2004 |access-date=26 June 2007}}</ref>


In 2021 the museum planned to build a 14-story 72 m high extension with an underground link to its current building, which was completed by the end of 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Murphy |first=Adrian |date=2021-08-25 |title=Museu de Arte de São Paulo to build $34.3m 14-storey expansion |url=https://www.museumnext.com/article/museu-de-arte-de-sao-paulo-to-build-30-3m-14-storey-expansion/ |access-date=2022-07-27 |website=MuseumNext |language=en}}</ref> The construction costed R$ 250 million and expanded the exhibition area from 10.485 m<sup>2</sup> to 21.863 m<sup>2</sup>. The annex, called Edifício Pietro Maria Bardi, was built in a style of a ] black ], replacing completely the 1954 10-story ] styled Dumont Adams Highrise. From 2013 to 2019 there was a negotiation of R$ 13 million with mobile telephone company Vivo to build a 125 m high observation tower, of architect Julio Neves, in the place, but they were unsuccessful.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-26 |title=Masp vai inaugurar novo prédio em março; imóvel ampliará espaço de exposição em 66 % em São Paulo |url=https://g1.globo.com/sp/sao-paulo/noticia/2024/11/26/masp-vai-inaugurar-novo-predio-em-marco-imovel-ampliara-espaco-de-exposicao-em-66percent.ghtml |access-date=2024-11-29 |website=G1 |language=pt-br}}</ref>
==The collection==


==The collection==
===The formation of the collection=== ===The formation of the collection===
] and Workshop (Flemish, 1577–1640). ''Portrait of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria'', c. 1615/32. Oil on canvas, 200 x 118 cm.]] ] and Workshop (Flemish, 1577–1640). ''Portrait of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria'', c. 1615/32. Oil on canvas, 200 x 118 cm]]


The main body of the collection was gathered between 1947 and 1960. ], formerly owner of commercial galleries in ] and Rome, was in charge of searching and selecting the works which should be acquired, while ] had to look for donors and patrons who shared his dream of endowing the country with a museum of international standard. Although many spontaneous donations had been registered, Chateaubriand gained reputation for using bold methods of persuasion. Endorsed by the influence of his ] Press, he negotiated with announcers his gathering of funds. After that, he rewarded the donors with the title of patrons, celebrating each new acquisition with banquets, speeches and even student parades in the streets of São Paulo, as happened at the arrival of ]'s ''The Student.'' The main body of the collection was assembled between 1947 and 1960. ], formerly owner of commercial galleries in ] and Rome, was in charge of searching and selecting the works which should be acquired, while ] looked for donors and patrons, trying to tempt potential ones with banquets and lavish ceremonies.


The international art market was passing through a propitious moment for those who had funds to acquire high-quality ] there were many of them available in view of the end of the war, and Brazil enjoyed prosperity, having ceased to depend heavily on international production,as it was forced to develop its own industry during the war. The works of art were generally acquired in traditional and esteemed fine art ] houses, such as ], Marlborough, ], Knoedler, Seligman and Wildenstein. These methods drew lots of criticism, as was the fact that the museum acquired works of art without the proper corroboration of ]. This impression was endorsed by the fact that the museum was at the time, just after WWII, one of the major buyers of art in the international market. Unlike other institutions, whose acquisitions depended on approval of a curators council, the São Paulo Museum of Art usually acquired its pieces quickly, sometimes by ]. The works of art were generally acquired at ], Marlborough, ], Knoedler, Seligman and Wildenstein.

The bold methods used by Chateaubriand to finance the formation of the collection produced many critics. Along with these, there were others related to the fact that the museum acquired works of art without the proper corroboration of ]. This impression was endorsed by the fact that the museum was at the time one of the major buyers in the international market. Unlike other institutions, whose acquisitions depended on approval of a ]s council, the São Paulo Museum of Art usually acquired its pieces quickly, sometimes by ]. Thanks to this agility the museum was able to gather important masterpieces, even when facing private collectors or institutions of major renown and bigger financial resources.


] (Spanish, 1746–1828). '']'', c. 1798/1800. Oil on canvas, 200 x 106 cm.]] ] (Spanish, 1746–1828). '']'', c. 1798/1800. Oil on canvas, 200 x 106 cm.]]
At the end of the 1960s, Chateaubriand's ] ] was facing troubles, with growing debts and ]'s media companies competition. The financial difficulties of ] caused the downfall of the museum's financial resources. Thus, after 13 years of great acquisitions, the museum increased its collection only by spontaneous donations of artists, companies and private collectors. At the end of the 1960s, Chateaubriand's ] ] was facing troubles, with growing debts and competition from ]'s media companies. The financial difficulties of ] caused the decline of the museum's financial resources. Consequently, the museum then added to its collection through spontaneous donations of artists, companies and private collectors.


===Overview of the collection=== ===Overview of the collection===
The São Paulo Museum of Art collection is considered the largest and more comprehensive collection of ] in Latin America and all Southern Hemisphere. Among the 8,000 works of the museum, the collection of European paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, and ] stands out. The ] and ] schools are more broadly represented, forming the main body of the collection, followed by ], Portuguese, ], ], ] and ] masters. The museum also keeps a significant collection of ] and ''Brasiliana'', which witnesses the development of Brazilian art from 17th century to nowadays. Still in the context of Western art, the museum possesses important holdings of ] and ] art. In a smaller scale, the museum's holdings contemplate representative objects of many periods and distinct non-Western ]s – such as ] and ]s – and others which stand out for their archaeological, historic and artistic relevance, like the select collections of ], ], ] and ] antiquities, besides other artifacts of ] cultures and ]. The São Paulo Museum of Art collection is considered the largest and more comprehensive collection of ] in Latin America. Among the 8,000 works of the museum, the collection of European paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, and ] stands out. Early modern ] and ] schools of painting are broadly represented, forming the main body of the collection, followed by ], Portuguese, ], ], ] and ] masters.
The museum also keeps a significant collection of ] and ''Brasiliana'', which shows the development of Brazilian art from 17th century to the present. The museum also possesses important holdings of ] and ].
On a smaller scale, the museum's holdings include representative objects of many periods and distinct non-Western ]s – such as ] and ]s – and others which stand out for their technological, archaeological, historic, and artistic relevance, like the select collections of ], ], ] and ] antiquities, besides other artifacts of ] cultures and ].


====Paintings==== ====Paintings====
Line 88: Line 112:
] (Italian, 1488/90-1576) ''Portrait of ]'', 1552.]] ] (Italian, 1488/90-1576) ''Portrait of ]'', 1552.]]
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 2 paintings :*], Jacopo Comin – 2 paintings
:*] – 1 painting, ''Dioniso e Ariadne'' :*] – 1 painting, ''Dioniso e Ariadne''
:*] – 1 Painting, '']'' :*] – 1 Painting, '']''
Line 95: Line 119:
:*] −1 painting :*] −1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting, '']'' :*] – 1 painting, '']''
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] (Gian Pietro Rizzi) – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting


''Brazil and the Americas'' ''Brazil and the Americas''
:*] – 6 paintings :*] – 6 paintings
:*] – 2 paintings
:*] – 2 paintings :*] – 2 paintings
:*] – 3 paintings :*] – 3 paintings
Line 116: Line 141:
:*] – 4 paintings :*] – 4 paintings
:*] – 17 paintings :*] – 17 paintings
:*] – 2 paintings :*] – 2 paintings
:*] – 2 paintings :*] – 2 paintings
:*] – 2 paintings :*] – 2 paintings
Line 124: Line 149:


''French school'' ''French school''
], ], Paris, 1881.]]
] (1699–1779). ''Portrait of Auguste Gabriel Godefroy'', 1741.]] ] (1699–1779). ''Portrait of Auguste Gabriel Godefroy'', 1741.]]
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
Line 146: Line 172:
:*] – 5 paintings :*] – 5 paintings
:*] – 2 paintings, including '']'' :*] – 2 paintings, including '']''
:*] – 4 paintings :*] – 4 paintings
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 3 paintings, including '']'' :*] – 3 paintings, including '']''
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 12 paintings, including '']'' :*] – 12 paintings, including '']''
:*] – 10 paintings :*] – 10 paintings
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 3 paintings :*] – 3 paintings


''Spanish school'' ''Spanish school''
:*] – 2 paintings :*] (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) – 2 paintings
:*] – 4 paintings :*] – 4 paintings
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
Line 189: Line 215:
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting
:*] – 1 painting :*] – 1 painting

Please note that this list is not complete.


The museum also has some small collections of photographs, costumes and textiles, kitsch objects, etc. The museum also has some small collections of photographs, costumes and textiles, kitsch objects, etc.


== Theft == ==Theft==
On 20 December 2007, around 5:09 am, three men broke in to MASP and stole two paintings considered to be among the most valuable pieces in the museum's collection: ''O Lavrador de Café'' (''The Coffee Farmer'') by ], and the '']'' by ]. It took the perpetrators just three minutes in total to successfully carry out the heist,<ref>{{cite news|title=Picasso stolen from Brazil museum|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7154101.stm|access-date=29 September 2017|work=BBC News|date=20 December 2007}}</ref> using a hydraulic jack and a crowbar.<ref name="Reuters">{{cite news |last=MacSwan |first=Angus |date=21 December 2007 |title=Picasso stolen from museum with no alarm |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/idINIndia-31085020071221 |work=Reuters |location=London |access-date=5 June 2023}}</ref> Art experts estimated the value of the paintings to be around $55-56 million in ].<ref>{{cite news|title=Stolen Picasso Painting Found in Brazil|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/stolen-picasso-painting-found-in-brazil/|access-date=29 September 2017|publisher=CBS News|date=8 January 2008}}</ref> Both pieces were recovered by the Brazilian police a few weeks after they were stolen, on 8 January 2008, in the city of ], in ].<ref>{{cite news|author1=Bruno Tavares|author2=Rodrigo Pereira|author3=Marcelo Godoy|title=Polícia recupera obras roubadas do Masp em dezembro – São Paulo – Estadão|url=http://sao-paulo.estadao.com.br/noticias/geral,policia-recupera-obras-roubadas-do-masp-em-dezembro,106155|access-date=29 September 2017|work=Estadão|date=8 January 2008|language=pt-BR}}</ref> Two suspects were arrested, although the ], ], speculated that the thieves were "linked to international gangs."<ref name="Guardian">{{cite news |last=Phillips |first=Tom |date=10 January 2008 |title=Stolen Picasso recovered undamaged in Brazil |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jan/10/artsfunding.artnews |work=The Guardian |location=London |access-date=5 June 2023}}</ref> The incident was described as "a major embarrassment"<ref name="Guardian"/> for the museum, which was revealed to have "no alarm system and no sensors. Video security cameras captured some of the raid but, since it had no infrared capability, the images were obscure."<ref name="Reuters"/> Additionally, none of the museum's collection was insured.<ref name="Reuters"/> MASP's president, Julio Neves, stated that they did not have the resources to finance a modern security system, and that they had instead "opted for security by patrolling, with people and cameras";<ref name="Reuters"/> he promised improvements in light to the incident. Just two months before the robbery, "two thieves tried to break into the museum but were spotted and fled",<ref name="Reuters"/> and in 2005, MASP was forced to close temporarily "when its power was cut off for nonpayment of bills."<ref name="Reuters"/>

=== First attempt ===

On October 29, 2007, two men overpowered security officers and tried to reach the second floor of the museum, where the desired paintings were located. Both men ran away without taking anything.

=== Second attempt ===

On December 20, 2007, around 5:00&nbsp;a.m., three men invaded the museum and took two paintings, considered to be among the most valuable of the museum: ''O Lavrador de Café'' (''The Coffee Farmer''),<ref>http://ritualcafe.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/lavrador-de-cafe.jpg</ref> by ], and the '']'' by ]. The whole action took about three minutes.

The estimated value of the paintings is around R$120 million reais (approximately 70 million dollars). The museum collection is uninsured and, at the time of the robbery, it had no movement sensors among the galleries. Security cameras could only produce unclear images of the raid because they lacked infrared capability.

The pictures were recovered by the ] on January 8, 2008, in the city of ], in the ]. The names of the two suspects have been withheld. After the incident, the director of the MASP promised to improve the security of the museum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ca.reuters.com/article/|title=<!-- No story found -->|publisher=}}</ref>


==Gallery== ==Gallery==
{{gallery
<center>
|height=150 <!--landscape-->
<gallery widths="140px" heights="140px" perrow="4">
|mode=packed <!--use same height-->
Image:Perugino - ssebastiao03.jpg|] (Italian, 1447/49-1523) ''St. Sebastian bound to a column'', c.1500/10.
Image:Tintoretto - pieta02.jpg|] (Italian, 1518-1594) ''Pietà'', 1560/65. |File:Tintoretto - pieta02.jpg|] (Italian, 1518–1594) ''Pietà'', 1560/65.
|File:Victor_Meirelles_-_Moema.jpg|] (1832–1903). ''Moema'', 1866.
Image:Velazquez - condedqolivares03.jpg|] (Spanish, 1599-1660) '']'', 1624.
Image:Delacroix - outono01.jpg|] (French, 1798-1863) ''The autumn - Bacchus and Ariadne'', 1856/63. |File:Jan van dornicke 6.jpg|] (1470–1527). ''The Crucifixion Triptych'', c. 1517.
}}
Image:Gypsy Girl with Mandolin, by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.jpg|] (French, 1796-1875) ''Gypsy Girl with a mandolin'', 1874.
{{gallery
Image:Hans Memling - A Virgem em Lamentação.jpg|] (German, 1435-1494) ''The mourning Virgem with St. John the Baptist and the pious women of Galilee'', 1485/90.
|height=180 <!--portrait-->
Image:Holbein - henryhoward01.jpg|] (German, 1497-1543) ''The poet Henry Howard, Count of Surrey'', c. 1542.
|mode=packed <!--use same height-->
Image:Van gogh - oescolar06.jpg|] (Dutch, 1853-1890) ''The Student'', 1888.
|File:Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares - Google Art Project.jpg|] (Spanish, 1599–1660) '']'', 1624.
Image:Guidoreni - lucrecia02.jpg|] (1575-1642). ''The Suicide of Lucretia'', 1625-40.
|File:Delacroix - outono01.jpg|] (French, 1798–1863) ''The autumn - Bacchus and Ariadne'', 1856/63.
Image:Victor_Meirelles_-_Moema.jpg|] (1832-1903). ''Moema'', 1866.
|File:Gypsy Girl with Mandolin, by Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot.jpg|] (French, 1796–1875) ''Gypsy Girl with a mandolin'', 1874.
Image:Bosch - tentacoesstoantao01.jpg|] (1450-1516). ''The Temptation of Saint Anthony'', c. 1500.
|File:Hans Memling - A Virgem em Lamentação.jpg|] (German, 1435–1494) ''The mourning Virgem with St. John the Baptist and the pious women of Galilee'', 1485/90.
Image:Jan van dornicke 6.jpg|] (1470-1527). ''The Crucifixion Triptych'', c. 1517.
|File:Holbein - henryhoward01.jpg|] (German, 1497–1543) ''The poet Henry Howard, Count of Surrey'', c. 1542.
</gallery>
|File:Van gogh - oescolar06.jpg|] (Dutch, 1853–1890) ''The Student'', 1888.
</center>
|File:Guidoreni - lucrecia02.jpg|] (1575–1642). ''The Suicide of Lucretia'', 1625–1640.
|File:Bosch - tentacoesstoantao01.jpg|] (1450–1516). ''The Temptation of Saint Anthony'', c. 1500.
}}


== See also == == See also ==
{{Portal|Brazil|Latin America|Arts|Architecture}} {{Portal|Brazil|Latin America|Arts|Architecture}}
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* ] * ]
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==References== ==References==
{{reflist|30em}} {{reflist}}


==External links== ==External links==
*
{{commonscatinline|Museu de Arte de São Paulo}}
* provided by ]
{{Visitor attractions in São Paulo (city)}}
*{{commons category-inline}}


{{Visitor attractions in São Paulo (city)}}
{{authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Paulo Art Museum}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Sao Paulo Art Museum}}
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Latest revision as of 20:51, 1 December 2024

Art museum in São Paulo, Brazil

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The São Paulo Museum of Art
Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand
The São Paulo Museum of Art in São Paulo
São Paulo Museum of Art is located in São PauloSão Paulo Museum of ArtLocation of São Paulo Museum of Art in São PauloShow map of São PauloSão Paulo Museum of Art is located in BrazilSão Paulo Museum of ArtSão Paulo Museum of Art (Brazil)Show map of Brazil
Interactive fullscreen map
Established1947
LocationAvenida Paulista 1578, São Paulo, Brazil
Coordinates23°33′40″S 46°39′21″W / 23.56111°S 46.65583°W / -23.56111; -46.65583
Visitors729,325 (in 2019)
DirectorHeitor Martins
CuratorAdriano Pedrosa
ArchitectLina Bo Bardi, horizontal block & Martin Corullon, vertical block
Public transit access Trianon-Masp
Websitewww.masp.org.br

The São Paulo Museum of Art (Portuguese: Museu de Arte de São Paulo, or MASP) is an art museum in São Paulo, Brazil. It is well known for the architectural significance of its headquarters, a 1968 concrete and glass structure designed by Lina Bo Bardi. It is considered a landmark of the city and a symbol of modern Brazilian architecture.

The museum was founded in 1947 by Assis Chateaubriand and Pietro Maria Bardi, and is maintained as a non-profit institution. MASP distinguished itself by its involvement in several important initiatives concerning museology and art education in Brazil, as well as for its pioneering role as a cultural center. It was also the first Brazilian museum to display post-World War II art.

The museum is internationally recognized for its collection of European art, considered to be one of the finest in both Latin America and the Southern Hemisphere. It also houses an important collection of Brazilian art, prints and drawings, as well as smaller collections of African and Asian art, antiquities, decorative arts, and others, amounting to more than 8,000 pieces. MASP also contains one of the largest art libraries in the country. The entire collection was placed on the Brazilian National Heritage list by Brazil's Institute of History and Art.

History

General context

Assis Chateaubriand.
Pietro Maria Bardi.

At the end of the 1940s, the Brazilian economy was going through large structural changes as a result of accelerating industrialization. The city of São Paulo subsequently established itself as the most important industrial hub in the country. Prior to that time, São Paulo's role in modern art had been marked by the Week of Modern Art of 1922. Despite the importance this event had enjoyed in the 1920s, Modernism wouldn't draw much attention of city dwellers and institutions in the following decades. There was only one art museum in São Paulo, the Pinacoteca do Estado, solely devoted to Academic art, and a commercial gallery.

Assis Chateaubriand, founder and owner of the Diários Associados, or "Associated Daily Press", the largest media and press conglomerate of Brazil at the time, was one of the most influential individuals of this period. In the late 1940s, Chateaubriand started a campaign to acquire masterpieces to form an art collection of international renown in Brazil. He intended to host the museum in Rio de Janeiro, but ultimately chose São Paulo, where he believed it would be easier to gather the necessary funds, since this city was enjoying a very prosperous moment. At the same time, the European art market had been deeply influenced by the end of World War II, making it possible to acquire fine artworks for reasonable prices.

With the help of Pietro Maria Bardi, an Italian professor, critic, art dealer and former owner of galleries in Milan and Rome, Chateaubriand created a "Museum of Classical and Modern Art". Though he initially planned to lead the project for only a year, Bardi dedicated the rest of his life to it. He moved to Brazil together with his wife, the architect Lina Bo Bardi, and brought along his library and his private art collection.

Beginnings (1947–1957)

Sandro Botticelli (Italian, 1445–1510). Virgin and Child with the Infant St. John the Baptist, 1490/1500. Tempera on panel, diameter 74 cm.
François Clouet (French, 1510–1572). The Bath of Diana, 1559/60. Oil on wood, 78 x 110 cm.

The museum was inaugurated and opened to the public on 2 October 1947, displaying the first acquisitions, among them canvases by Picasso and Rembrandt. In these first years of activity, the museum was located on the upper floors of the Diarios Associados headquarters in the Centro neighborhood of São Paulo. Architect Lina Bo Bardi was in charge of adapting the building to the needs of the museum, dividing it into four distinct areas: an art gallery, a didactic exposition room about the history of art, a temporary exhibition room and an auditorium.

MASP was the first Brazilian art museum interested in acquiring works of modern art. The museum quickly became a meeting point for artists, students and intellectuals, attracted not only by its holdings, but also by the workshops and art courses it offered.

In the 1950s, the museum created the Institute of Contemporary Art (offering workshops of engraving, drawing, painting, sculpture, dance and industrial design), the Publicity School (presently Superior School of Propaganda and Marketing), organizing debates about cinema and literature and creating a youth orchestra and a ballet company. The courses were frequently given by important names of the Brazilian artistic scene, such as the painters Lasar Segall and Roberto Sambonet, the architects Gian Carlo Palanti and Lina Bo Bardi, the sculptor August Zamoyski, and the motion-picture technician Alberto Cavalcanti.

Along with the amplification of the educational program, the museum expanded its collection and began to be recognized internationally. Between 1953 and 1957, a selection of 100 masterpieces housed in the museum traveled throughout European museums, such as Musée de l'Orangerie (Paris) and the Tate Gallery (London), in a series of exhibitions organized with the intent of consolidating the collection. In 1957, the collection was also displayed in the United States at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City and in the Toledo Museum of Art. The following year, the holdings of MASP were exhibited at other Brazilian venues, such as the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, in Rio de Janeiro. This established the museum on a global level.

Consolidation of the museum

Attributed to Rembrandt (Dutch, 1606–1669). Portrait of a Young Man with a Golden Chain, c. 1635. Oil on panel, 57 x 44 cm.

The collection's rising growth and importance soon required the construction of a building to headquarter the museum. With that purpose, the São Paulo City Hall donated a plot of ground, previously occupied by the Belvedere Trianon – a traditional meeting point of the Paulistano wealthy, which had been demolished in 1951 – to host the first edition of São Paulo Art Biennial. The ground on Paulista Avenue had been donated to the City Hall with the condition that the view to the downtown area and the valley of the Nove de Julho Avenue be preserved.

The new MASP building was the brainchild of Lina Bo Bardi. To preserve the required view of the downtown area, Bardi idealized a building suspended above ground, supported by four massive rectangular columns made of concrete. The construction is considered to be unique worldwide for its peculiarity: the main body of the building stands on four lateral supporting pillars, generating a free area of 74 meters underneath the sustained building. Constructed between 1956 and 1968, the new site of the museum was inaugurated on 7 November by Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom during her visit to Brazil.

Assis Chateaubriand would not get to see the inauguration of the new building. He died months before, a victim of thrombosis. The media empire which he developed had also been facing difficulties since the beginning of the 1960s. Growing debts and the competition in the media market by Roberto Marinho's press conglomerate – caused the scarcity of the funds which had permitted the gathering of the collection.

The overthrow of Diários Associados and the death of its founder made the government intervene and pay for some of the debts contracted with foreign institutions. During the government of president Juscelino Kubitschek, Caixa Econômica Federal granted a loan to honor the financial obligations of the institution and secured the loan with its art collections. Years later, in the 1970s, the museum's debt with the Brazilian government was negotiated and paid off.

In 1969, in response to a request by the museum, the Brazilian Institute for Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) registered MASP's holdings as part of the national heritage.

In the 1970s the museum gained fame in the Eastern Hemisphere by organizing many exhibitions using selected works of its collection at Japanese museums. In 1973, the collection was presented at the Ministry of Foreign Relations in Brasília. MASP's collection was presented again in Japan in 1978/79, 1982/83, 1990/91, and 1995. In 1992, works of the French school and Brazilian landscapes were exhibited in the Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, in Santiago, Chile, and in the Biblioteca Luís Angel Aragón, in Bogotá.

The building

Aerial view of MASP
MASP auditorium
Exhibition room, São Paulo Museum of Art
Exhibition of the "100 Maravilhas"
Demolished Dumont Adams Highrise,where the museum's annex now sits

Construction on the present building of the museum began in 1957, and the building was inaugurated in 1968 and has 25 m high. MASP is famous for its remarkable Brazilian modern architecture structure, and it is considered one of the landmarks of city. It is located on the former site of Belvedere Trianon on Paulista Avenue, from which it was possible to see the Centro of São Paulo at that time and the Cantareira Mountains beyond. José Borges de Figueiredo, the investor who sold the plot of ground to the City Hall, wrote a non-binding letter to the administration, asking that it to be preserved as a "public place in perpetuity". While in the following years multiple proposed projects ignored his wish, the architect Lina Bo Bardi and engineer José Carlos Figueiredo Ferraz ultimately conceived an underground block as well as a reinforced concrecte in tension suspended structure. The structure stands 8 meters above the ground, supported by 4 pillars connected by two huge concrete beams. A free space of 74 metres (243 ft) between the pillars was the largest free span in the world at that time. The building inaugurated the so-called protected reinforced concrete technique in Brazil. Each of the 2 floors of exposition has some 7 meters of ceiling.

In the construction, totalling approximately 10,000 square metres (110,000 sq ft), there are – besides the permanent and temporary exhibition galleries – library, photo gallery, film gallery, video gallery, 2 auditoriums, restaurant, store, workshop rooms, administrative offices and a technical area. The building's installations and finishing are homely, as Lina Bo herself described: "Concrete visible, whitewash, a flagstone flooring covering the great Civic Hall, tempered glass, plastic walls. Industrial black rubber flooring covering inner spaces. The belvedere is a 'square', with plants and flowers around, paved with parallelepipeds, according to Iberian-Brazilian tradition. There are also water spaces, small water mirrors with aquatic plants. I didn't search for beauty. I've searched for freedom". In 2003, the building was also registered as national patrimony by Brazilian Institute for Historic and Artistic Heritage.

In the museographic area, Lina Bo Bardi also innovated by using tempered crystal sheets leaned on concrete blocks bases as display supports for the paintings. The intention is to imitate the position of the canvas on the painter's easel, but it also has roots in interwar Italian exhibition design. In the reverse of these supports, which are not used anymore, there were labels with information about the painter and the work. Paradoxically, the museum abandoned this model of exhibition at the end of the 1990s, when the method was beginning to be noticed and implemented by foreign institutions and artists.

Between 1996 and 2001, the current administration of the museum undertook a vast and controversial reform. Despite the indispensable restoration of the general structure, dramatic changes implemented by the architect and former director of the institution Julio Neves included the substitution of the original floor conceived by Lina Bo, the installation of a second elevator, the construction of a third underground floor, and the substitution of the water mirrors for gardens. Some architects allege that the reform caused a profound distortion of Lina's original project.

In 2021 the museum planned to build a 14-story 72 m high extension with an underground link to its current building, which was completed by the end of 2024. The construction costed R$ 250 million and expanded the exhibition area from 10.485 m to 21.863 m. The annex, called Edifício Pietro Maria Bardi, was built in a style of a modern black monolith, replacing completely the 1954 10-story art-deco styled Dumont Adams Highrise. From 2013 to 2019 there was a negotiation of R$ 13 million with mobile telephone company Vivo to build a 125 m high observation tower, of architect Julio Neves, in the place, but they were unsuccessful.

The collection

The formation of the collection

Peter Paul Rubens and Workshop (Flemish, 1577–1640). Portrait of Albert VII, Archduke of Austria, c. 1615/32. Oil on canvas, 200 x 118 cm

The main body of the collection was assembled between 1947 and 1960. Pietro Maria Bardi, formerly owner of commercial galleries in Milan and Rome, was in charge of searching and selecting the works which should be acquired, while Chateaubriand looked for donors and patrons, trying to tempt potential ones with banquets and lavish ceremonies.

These methods drew lots of criticism, as was the fact that the museum acquired works of art without the proper corroboration of authenticity. This impression was endorsed by the fact that the museum was at the time, just after WWII, one of the major buyers of art in the international market. Unlike other institutions, whose acquisitions depended on approval of a curators council, the São Paulo Museum of Art usually acquired its pieces quickly, sometimes by telegram. The works of art were generally acquired at Christie's, Marlborough, Sotheby's, Knoedler, Seligman and Wildenstein.

Francisco Goya (Spanish, 1746–1828). Portrait of Cardinal Luis María de Borbón y Vallabriga, c. 1798/1800. Oil on canvas, 200 x 106 cm.

At the end of the 1960s, Chateaubriand's press conglomerate was facing troubles, with growing debts and competition from Roberto Marinho's media companies. The financial difficulties of Diários Associados caused the decline of the museum's financial resources. Consequently, the museum then added to its collection through spontaneous donations of artists, companies and private collectors.

Overview of the collection

The São Paulo Museum of Art collection is considered the largest and more comprehensive collection of Western art in Latin America. Among the 8,000 works of the museum, the collection of European paintings, sculptures, drawings, engravings, and decorative arts stands out. Early modern French and Italian schools of painting are broadly represented, forming the main body of the collection, followed by Spanish, Portuguese, Flemish, Dutch, English and German masters.

The museum also keeps a significant collection of Brazilian art and Brasiliana, which shows the development of Brazilian art from 17th century to the present. The museum also possesses important holdings of Latin American art and North American art.

On a smaller scale, the museum's holdings include representative objects of many periods and distinct non-Western civilizations – such as African and Asian arts – and others which stand out for their technological, archaeological, historic, and artistic relevance, like the select collections of Egyptian, Etruscan, Greek and Roman antiquities, besides other artifacts of Pre-Columbian cultures and medieval European art.

Paintings

Giambattista Pittoni (1687/1767) Dioniso e Ariadne, c.1730/35
Almeida Júnior (1850–1899). Girl with a Book

Italian school

Titian (Italian, 1488/90-1576) Portrait of Cardinal Cristoforo Madruzzo, 1552.

Brazil and the Americas

French school

Renoir, Pink and Blue, Paris, 1881.
Jean-Baptiste-Siméon Chardin (1699–1779). Portrait of Auguste Gabriel Godefroy, 1741.

Spanish school

Dutch, Flemish and German schools

Van Dyck (Flemish, 1599–1641) Portrait of William Howard, 1638/40.
Thomas Lawrence (British, 1769–1830) The sons of Sir Samuel Fludyer, 1806.

English school

The museum also has some small collections of photographs, costumes and textiles, kitsch objects, etc.

Theft

On 20 December 2007, around 5:09 am, three men broke in to MASP and stole two paintings considered to be among the most valuable pieces in the museum's collection: O Lavrador de Café (The Coffee Farmer) by Cândido Portinari, and the Portrait of Suzanne Bloch by Pablo Picasso. It took the perpetrators just three minutes in total to successfully carry out the heist, using a hydraulic jack and a crowbar. Art experts estimated the value of the paintings to be around $55-56 million in U.S. dollars. Both pieces were recovered by the Brazilian police a few weeks after they were stolen, on 8 January 2008, in the city of Ferraz de Vasconcelos, in Greater São Paulo. Two suspects were arrested, although the Brazilian Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil, speculated that the thieves were "linked to international gangs." The incident was described as "a major embarrassment" for the museum, which was revealed to have "no alarm system and no sensors. Video security cameras captured some of the raid but, since it had no infrared capability, the images were obscure." Additionally, none of the museum's collection was insured. MASP's president, Julio Neves, stated that they did not have the resources to finance a modern security system, and that they had instead "opted for security by patrolling, with people and cameras"; he promised improvements in light to the incident. Just two months before the robbery, "two thieves tried to break into the museum but were spotted and fled", and in 2005, MASP was forced to close temporarily "when its power was cut off for nonpayment of bills."

Gallery

  • Velázquez (Spanish, 1599–1660) Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares, 1624. Velázquez (Spanish, 1599–1660) Portrait of the Count-Duke of Olivares, 1624.
  • Delacroix (French, 1798–1863) The autumn - Bacchus and Ariadne, 1856/63. Delacroix (French, 1798–1863) The autumn - Bacchus and Ariadne, 1856/63.
  • Corot (French, 1796–1875) Gypsy Girl with a mandolin, 1874. Corot (French, 1796–1875) Gypsy Girl with a mandolin, 1874.
  • Hans Memling (German, 1435–1494) The mourning Virgem with St. John the Baptist and the pious women of Galilee, 1485/90. Hans Memling (German, 1435–1494) The mourning Virgem with St. John the Baptist and the pious women of Galilee, 1485/90.
  • Hans Holbein (German, 1497–1543) The poet Henry Howard, Count of Surrey, c. 1542. Hans Holbein (German, 1497–1543) The poet Henry Howard, Count of Surrey, c. 1542.
  • Van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) The Student, 1888. Van Gogh (Dutch, 1853–1890) The Student, 1888.
  • Guido Reni (1575–1642). The Suicide of Lucretia, 1625–1640. Guido Reni (1575–1642). The Suicide of Lucretia, 1625–1640.
  • Hieronymus Bosch (1450–1516). The Temptation of Saint Anthony, c. 1500. Hieronymus Bosch (1450–1516). The Temptation of Saint Anthony, c. 1500.

See also

References

  1. "Relatõrio Anual de Atividas MASP 2019" (PDF) (in Portuguese). São Paulo Museum of Art. 2019. p. 43. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  2. http://www.metroarquitetos.com.br
  3. "Museum of Art of São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand, São Paulo, Brazil, interactive Google street view photo and map". Geographic.org. Retrieved 10 August 2016.
  4. Authorities seek shut-down of renowned São Paulo art museum, CBCNews, 19 January 2008, retrieved 25 June 2009
  5. ^ São Paulo Museum of Art, Encyclopaedia Itaú Cultural Visual Arts, retrieved 25 June 2009
  6. Preciosidades de um MASP sessentão (in Portuguese), Hipermeios, archived from the original on 10 July 2009, retrieved 25 June 2009
  7. O Masp pede socorro (in Portuguese), Forum Permanente, archived from the original on 10 July 2009, retrieved 25 June 2009
  8. IPHAN – Official note (in Portuguese), IPHAN, retrieved 25 June 2009
  9. Bardi, P.M. (1992), História do MASP, São Paulo: Instituto Quadrante, pp. 10–14, ISBN 85-7234-019-X
  10. Anagnost, Adrian (2022). Spatial Orders, Social Forms: Art and the City in Modern Brazil. Yale University Press. p. 100. ISBN 9780300254013.
  11. MASP – Um museu no país das idéias audazes (in Portuguese), Instituto Lina Bo e P.M. Bardi, retrieved 25 June 2009
  12. Nelson, Adele (2016). "The Bauhaus in Brazil: Pedagogy and Practice". ARTMargins. 5 (2): 27–49. doi:10.1162/ARTM_a_00146. ISSN 2162-2574. S2CID 57566939.
  13. Maciel, Carlos Alberto. Técnica moderna: entre o monumento e a construção cotidiana Archived 27 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  14. CEDAC. São Paulo 450 anos. Retrieved 2007–6–26.
  15. Oliveira, Fernanda. MASP: sob as linhas da arte, a liberdade Archived 12 October 2006 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  16. Anagnost, Adrian (2019). "Limitless Museum: P. M. Bardi's Aesthetic Reeducation". Modernism/Modernity. 26 (4): 687–725. doi:10.1353/mod.2019.0055. ISSN 1080-6601. S2CID 214083017.
  17. Anagnost, Adrian (2022). Spatial Orders, Social Forms: Art and the City in Modern Brazil. Yale University Press. pp. 218–219n112. ISBN 9780300254013.
  18. João Domingues (28 October 2004). "MASP pede socorro!" (in Portuguese). Canal Contemporâneo. Retrieved 26 June 2007.
  19. Murphy, Adrian (25 August 2021). "Museu de Arte de São Paulo to build $34.3m 14-storey expansion". MuseumNext. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  20. "Masp vai inaugurar novo prédio em março; imóvel ampliará espaço de exposição em 66 % em São Paulo". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 26 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
  21. "Picasso stolen from Brazil museum". BBC News. 20 December 2007. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  22. ^ MacSwan, Angus (21 December 2007). "Picasso stolen from museum with no alarm". Reuters. London. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  23. "Stolen Picasso Painting Found in Brazil". CBS News. 8 January 2008. Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  24. Bruno Tavares; Rodrigo Pereira; Marcelo Godoy (8 January 2008). "Polícia recupera obras roubadas do Masp em dezembro – São Paulo – Estadão". Estadão (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 29 September 2017.
  25. ^ Phillips, Tom (10 January 2008). "Stolen Picasso recovered undamaged in Brazil". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 5 June 2023.

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