PAST EVENTS
A New Masterpiece on View: Jacques des Rousseaux at the National Museum of Ancient Art
28.01.2025 — 3.06.2025
Now on view at MNAA: Lute Player Accompanying an Old Man Holding a Musical Score by Jacques des Rousseaux, a rare and intriguing work from our collection. The life of des Rousseaux remains shrouded in mystery. His family, originally from Tourcoing in northern France, sought refuge in Leiden, The Netherlands. Born around 1600, des Rousseaux likely stayed connected to his roots, returning to France after a study trip to Italy—a rite of passage for many northern European artists seeking inspiration from the land of Caravaggio. Des Rousseaux was almost certainly a pupil of Rembrandt, who ran a workshop in Leiden from 1628 to 1631. His paintings often reflect such influence, to the point that some have been misattributed to the master himself. While many of his works are Tronies—intense studies of facial expressions influenced by Rembrandt’s circle—this particular piece diverges. It captures an intimate musical performance with two figures, blending the warmth of Rembrandt’s early style with Caravaggio’s dramatic naturalism.
Convers’arte with David De Witt
Tuesday, 13.05.2025, 6:30pm
For the third edition of Convers’arte, we are pleased to welcome David de Witt, Senior Curator at the Rembrandt House Museum, to reflect on one of the Dutch masterpieces in the Gaudium Magnum Foundation collection: Lute Player Accompanying an Old Man Holding a Musical Score, by Jacques de Rousseaux.
Titled Caravaggio Comes to Leiden: Jacques de Rousseaux’s Musical Allegory, the lecture will take us into the world of 17th-century Dutch painting—tracing Rousseaux’s connections to the Leiden circle of Rembrandt and Jan Lievens, while uncovering echoes of Caravaggio’s Utrecht followers.
Although still a relatively unknown figure of the Dutch Golden Age, Jacques de Rousseaux stands out for the distinctive blend of influences in his work. Born around 1600 in Tourcoing, northern France, he later settled in Leiden, where he likely trained in Rembrandt’s workshop. While best known for his expressive tronies—character studies focused on facial expression—Rousseaux also produced refined musical scenes, such as the painting currently on view at the MNAA. This work recalls Rembrandt’s early Musical Allegory (Rijksmuseum) and reveals the imprint of Caravaggesque naturalism, possibly absorbed through Jan Lievens, or through contact with French painters like Nicolas Tournier and Trophime Bigot.
With great insight, Dr. de Witt will guide us through the subtle layers of influence and innovation behind this singular composition, showing how Rousseaux found his own artistic path— an independent vision, distinct from his models and fellow pupils.
Cultivating Young Artistic Minds at the Museum
18.03.2025 — 3.06.2025
Education is at the heart of our mission. The Gaudium Magnum Foundation - Maria and João Cortez de Lobão is proudly supporting the educational initiatives of the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon. Our didactic leaflets introduce young minds to iconic European masterpieces, guide families through scavenger hunts around the museum, and explore artistic techniques alongside the historical context of the works on display.
Educational Activity for Families: Music in Painting
Travel back in time and discover the connection between art and music in the 17th century. Inspired by Jacques des Rousseaux’s painting Lute Player Accompanying an Old Man Holding a Musical Score, this activity invites families to explore the artwork’s details and to imagine the sounds that once filled grand ballrooms of the royal courts.
The new educational leaflet includes various challenges, such as observing clothing, identifying the instruments, and learning how music influenced daily life at the time. Can you count the lute strings? Or figure out where the light in the scene is coming from? Children are invited to complete carpet patterns and imagine further details in the painting.
Participants embark on an educational and sensory journey through visual clues, connecting art, history, and music. This leaflet is part of a series of educational materials developed in partnership with MNAA and is available for free at the museum. Join us and let yourself be transported by the melodies of the lute!
Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga: Alessandro Magnasco painting from our Collection showcased in Lisbon
17.09.2024 — 26.01.2025
Beauty, Seduction and Sharing is the motto of the long-lasting lending protocol between the MNAA and the Gaudium Magnum Foundation. On view from our collection is a masterpiece by Alessandro Magnasco, an Italian painter of the late Baroque period renowned for his expressive style and ability to convey satirical and moral messages in seemingly innocuous scenes. The present work depicts a scene taken from the story of Joseph as narrated by the Old Testament, which offers cues for both religious meditation and reflection on royal gratitude. In the early 18th century, this episode was the subject of numerous allegorical plays performed in Europe's most important court theatres, a correlation visible in the highly articulated architectural setting depicted by Magnasco. The imaginative prison where Joseph sits — interpreting the dreams of the Pharaoh's baker and cupbearer — shows how he was actively taking part in the intellectual debates of his time. The new ideas that sprung from the French Enlightenment reached Milan and became the basis for protests against corruption, religious intolerance and social prejudice, a context that can help us better understand Magnasco's desire to denounce the deplorable conditions of convicts and the cruel torture methods widely used in prisons at the time.
Convers’arte with Anna Orlando
Tuesday, 29.10.2024, 6pm
With Magnasco’s masterpiece we launch the Convers’arte cycle to delve into the fascinating art world linked to all dimensions of life. A vibrant space for sharing, which brings together voices from different disciplines, and heightens knowledge about the splendor of European painting from the 14th to the 18th century.
The Genius of Alessandro Magnasco is explained by our invited Art Historian Anna Orlando under the theme Brushstrokes, Ideals and Politics. The talk aims to examine this pioneering work from the Gaudium Magnum Foundation Collection.
Discover what makes Joseph Interpreting the Baker’s & Cupbearer’s Dreams so unique and how Magnasco’s expressive style defines the late Baroque, in this short video presentation by Anna Orlando here.
Convers’arte with João Sarmento
Saturday, 18.01.2025, 4:30pm
We'll see what happens to your dreams! is the theme chosen by our guest, Father João Sarmento, SJ, for a reflection on Magnasco’s painting. This conversation delves into the dreamlike dimension of art and spirituality, exploring the layers of meaning behind dreams in biblical tradition, rabbinic literature, Christian mysticism, and even contemporary artistic practices.
Book launch at National Library of Portugal
Thursday, 12.12.2024, 5:30pm
Luís Mousinho de Albuquerque and the Restoration of Batalha Monastery in the 19th Century documents the pioneering 1840-1843 restoration of this iconic Portuguese monument. This bilingual edition, marking 170 years since Mousinho's original publication, brings his influential work to a global audience and highlights his key role in raising national awareness about the preservation of monumental heritage in Portugal. Mousinho's work was guided by Irish architect James Murphy's engravings, which captured the monastery before the 1755 earthquake damage. At the end of the 19th century, these detailed drawings were also fundamental in establishing Batalha as one of the primary references for the development of the English Gothic Revival, which became the prevalent architectural style in the following century. The book features a critical introduction by Clara Moura Soares, a preface by Maria João Neto and 19th-century photographs of the monument. Scribe published the book with the support of the Gaudium Magnum Foundation, whose dedication to promoting Portugal's cultural heritage is instrumental in bringing this project to life.
To buy the book online.
Panellists: Silvia Davoli, Art Director of Strawberry Hill Museum & Garden; Clara Moura Soares, Author; Maria João Neto, Portuguese Art Historian. Opening remarks: Diogo Ramada Curto, Director of the Portuguese Nacional Library; Manuel de Bragança, editor at Scribe Produções Culturais; and Valentina Rossi, Director of Gaudium Magnum Foundation.
Lecture at University of Lisbon, Faculty of Arts on Strawberry Hill and Horace Walpole's Collection: A Symbiotic Vision
Friday, 13.12.2024, 10:30am
The history of Strawberry Hill House begins in 1747, when Horace Walpole discovered and acquired Chopp'd Straw Hall, one of the last available properties in elegant Twickenham, situated on the banks of the River Thames. Walpole began transforming what was then a set of country houses into a “little Gothic castle” with pinnacles, battlements and a round tower. Thus, Strawberry Hill House was born. This lecture by its artistic director Silvia Davoli explores the extraordinary relationship between Strawberry Hill House, one of the most influential examples of Gothic Revival architecture, and Walpole's remarkable art collection. Well-documented, it offers a unique perspective for understanding the complex dynamics that led to its creation. Through extensive archives, it is possible to trace how Walpole conceived and built both his house and collection in perfect symbiosis, each influencing and enhancing the other. This interdependent relationship offers valuable insights into 18th-century collecting practices and architectural innovation.
Strawberry Hill represents a unique moment in collecting history, where architecture and objects were conceived as a unified artistic vision. The “little Gothic castle”, as its mentor called it, quickly become a true tourist attraction.
Hispanic Society Museum and Library: Camões 500th anniversary celebrated in New York
01.10.2024 — 10.11.2024
In the late European Renaissance, when intellectual curiosity and scientific inquiry flourished, Luís de Camões, Portugal's most celebrated poet, lived a life of travel and exploration. To celebrate its 500th anniversary, the Gaudium Magnum Foundation and the Hispanic Society Museum and Library (HSML) present an exhibition and symposium highlighting the legacy of one of the greatest figures in world literature. The book exhibition curated by Isabel Almeida, Camões: A Poet Read, A Poet Reader, aims to be both educational and accessible for visitors unfamiliar with Camões, highlighting the diffusion of Os Lusíadas in Spain and the Americas.
Get an inside look! Watch our short video where the curator presents the inspiration and concept behind the exhibition.
The symposium examines how Camões embodied the transformative spirit of 16th-century Europe, exploring the intersections of humanism and art and revealing the influences of European luminaries of the Renaissance. The invited speakers are: Isabel Almeida (Universidade de Lisboa), Henrique Leitão (Universidade de Lisboa), Kenneth David Jackson (Yale University), Josiah Blackmore (Harvard University), Joaquim Oliveira Caetano (MNAA) and José Miguel Martínez Torrejón (Queens College).
HSML&L Literary Travels: Book Arts Program with Ana Cordeiro
Saturday, 26.10.2024, 4-6pm
In conjunction with the Camões exhibition, we are thrilled to announce a workshop led by Ana Cordeiro, a distinguished NYSCA Artist Fellow and the recipient of the 2024 Governor’s Medal of Arts and Culture. This engaging workshop features a hands-on demonstration of two unique historical book structures: the Turkish Map Fold and the Vade Mecum.
The Turkish Map Fold is a captivating and sculptural book form crafted from a single sheet of paper, optionally adorned with a cover. As you open, it unfolds dramatically revealing the entire sheet in an intriguing manner. A sculptural and captivating format that you can also use for drawings or for a fun travel journal.
The term Vade Mecum derived from Latin, translates to "go with me" or "take along." It refers to a handy handbook or guide that one keeps readily accessible for continual reference. An opportunity to explore these historical book forms and expand your creative skills!
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