Getting lost in art
After an exhausting exam period and sitting non-stop in front of my laptop, I decided to go to the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga in Lisbon to get new impulses and refresh my mind. I always loved going to art museums as I always find myself getting lost in art, trying to discover details and find out the painter’s intention. This museum particularly exhibits paintings from the Renaissance by both Portuguese and other European artists. One painting that made me pause for a while was “The Hell” by an unknown Portuguese artist from about 1510–1520.
As the name suggests, the painting depicts hell with its eternal torments. At first glance, the image overwhelmed me with impressions, but the more I looked closely at the individual components, the more fascinating I found it. People are depicted naked and are tormented by demons because of their mortal sins. For example, the pair of lovers at the right corner of the picture symbolizes lust and the three women hanging upside down with their hair on fire represent vanity. What I thought to be very interesting is the fact that the artist also depicts a group of people, including monks, getting boiled in a cauldron over a fireplace, showing that no one is free from falling to hell. What captured my attention the most, however, was the depiction of Lucifer, the devil, on an African throne, dressed in a headdress and a costume of feathers. The robe of feathers is reminiscent of one worn by Brazilian natives. I find it particularly interesting to see how quickly elements from Portuguese colonies were incorporated into the depiction of the Christian world and represent the spirit of the time. I chose this artwork because I like paintings with many elements that encourage you to look closely, but are not too abstract to understand the artist’s intent.
I really enjoyed my stay at the Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga and I would recommend it to everyone that is interested in art. It was difficult for me to choose a particular work of art, as the museum exhibits many masterpieces, including still lifes, ceramics and porcelain objects, and even a painting by Albrecht Dürer.
