MAY 17 TO SEPTEMBER 21
Inferno (1510–1520)
Unknown Portuguese Master
Inferno is one of the most peculiar Portuguese paintings, typically associated with the “Portuguese Primitives,” referring to painting from the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Attributed to an unknown author, this work ties the demonic to the extra-European world: Lucifer wears an Amerindian feathered headdress, sits on an African throne, and holds an ivory horn; another demon is also adorned with feathers. The dating of Inferno coincides with the first encounters between Brazilian Indigenous peoples and the Portuguese, following the depiction of the Indigenous Magi in the Altarpiece of Viseu Cathedral—a rare insertion of the Brazilian native figure into Christianity.
The painting only appeared before the general public in 1940, during events linked to the Exposição do Mundo Português, among other commemorations. Until then, it had been kept from view, due both to conservation concerns and the “demonic” nature of its imagery, which evokes the Inquisition and beliefs of the Ancien Régime.
Inferno presents a medieval vision of Hell, cataloging eternal torments linked to the seven deadly sins. Vanity is depicted through three naked women hanging upside down with their hair ablaze, alluding to the Three Graces of Apollo’s court. Lovers bound together by a ribbon represent Lust, seemingly drawn straight from Dante, revealing a plurality of iconographic sources. A world turned upside down...
At the invitation of the CIAJG, artist duo Mariana Caló and Francisco Queimadela filmed Inferno, a painting from the permanent collection of the National Museum of Ancient Art (Lisbon). In this exhibition, it appears as an “apparition” or “vertigo,” posing the question: Who is the Other?
Admission: €4.00 / €3.00 with discount
Free entry: children up to 12 / Sunday mornings
Curated by Marta Mestre and João Terras
Admission: €4.00 / €3.00 with discount
Free entry: children up to 12 / Sunday mornings
Curated by Marta Mestre and João Terras
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