If you have been following me a while then you may recall that last year I shared two fascinating posts on a tiny museum in Vila Real de Santo António, in the south east of Portugal. Mum, MrB and I had discovered it when we had been visiting the stupendous presépio gigante. What I had totally forgotten to do though was to share with you what is on the first floor of the museum.
You may just enjoy exploring up here for the architecture as it is rather a splendid floor, or you may just get a little bit distracted like I did by Portugal’s largest collection of wood engravings.
They are all the work of Manuel dos Santos Cabanas who was born in 1902 in Vila Nova de Cacela, a tiny town near Vila Real de Santo António. We’ve driven through but not actually stopped there as we have always been drawn to its older namesake Cacela Velha. However I am getting distracted, this post is meant to be about the wood engravings!
Throughout his life Manuel was politically active; leading campaigns, spending time in jail and sitting in the Assembly of the Republic. And he clearly felt his politics was what defined him; “I am a man of the people and with the people I identify myself”
However he was also known for his teachings and writings, and every year a small society comes together in Vila Real de Santo Antonio to commemorate his birth.
And of course he is known for his artistry. As you can see from this post he was a prolific artist, creating beautiful wood cuts. Whilst the portraits were excellent, it was the scenes depicting every day life in Portugal during the last century that really caught my eye.
Manuel donated his creations to the museum here in the 1970s, and it looks like it is now a permanent exhibition. Just a shame though they are not been kept in the best atmospheric conditions as we noticed quite a few of the book covers were curling.
There is also a random collection of typewriters and a comptometer. No idea why this is here, but it makes a rather nice way to finish this post for Six Word Saturday!
What a talented man!
I know . . quite incredible. How he found time in between his political activism I will never know!
Fantastic when you discover a fascinating life history.. 😉
How lovely! I didn’t know about this museum or this artist. (Did you ever go back to the typewriters in São Brás?!)
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Oh I’m so glad you spotted this post, think you’d like this place. It is part of the town archives.
And no we didn’t! Something for the Autumn perhaps 😜
Wonderful Becky 🙂
Thanks Brian . . are you back home now or still in town?
Been home since lunchtime.
Amazing I like the everyday Portugal art too. Just lovely. Thanks for sharing.
so glad you enjoyed 🙂
The street scenes are beautiful and so detailed. And isn’t the room beautiful too. I love the wide dark floor boards.
ah another floor fan . . . I just wanted to move in!!
I can see why.
D’you know we’ve been to S Antonio dozens of times and not been in that museum. The work looks beautiful 😍💕
Hee hee . . . . we nearly didn’t go in, but are so glad we did. It is tiny so don’t make a special trip but perfect for before or after lunch visit 🙂
Wood engravings aside, what a floor! And those windows!
Hee hee, knew there would be at least one distracted by the space. It’s glorious isn’t it 😃
I can see why you were entranced by that exhibition, Becky!
I think we might be go back and take a second look!
Why not?
why not indeed . . have to wait until the Autumn though!
😊😊
What a fascinating place, Becky. I could spend ages in that room.
But for now, just thinking about the amount of time taken to create those is sending me off for another cup of coffee!
hee hee, I am on my third cup of tea!