Gulbenkian Art Library and Archives
- Gulbenkian Art Library
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History
Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian, born in Üsküdar, Turkey, of Armenian origin, fled persecution with his family in 1896, settling in London after a brief stay in Cairo. He later acquired British nationality and a palace in Paris. With the onset of World War II, Gulbenkian moved to Lisbon, where he passed away in 1955.
A passionate art collector, Gulbenkian's eclectic collection of over 6,000 pieces spans antiquity to the early twentieth century, reflecting his diverse travels and personal taste. Notable works include pieces from ancient Egypt, Greece, Babylonia, Persia, and Europe. His collection also features works by renowned artists such as Rubens, Rembrandt, and Monet.
Concerned about preserving his legacy and avoiding taxes, Gulbenkian explored housing options for his collection, including discussions with Kenneth Clark for a proposed 'Gulbenkian Institute' at the National Gallery in London. However, wartime complications and suspicions led him to consider the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
Upon his death, negotiations with the French Government and the National Gallery in Washington ensued, culminating in the collection's exhibition at the Palace of the Marquises of Pombal in Portugal from 1965 to 1969. Finally, in 1972, the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum was established in Lisbon, fulfilling Gulbenkian's desire for a dedicated space to showcase his life's work.
Records Management and Collecting Policies
The Collection Development Policy can be read here: https://gulbenkian.pt/biblioteca-arte/en/policies-and-procedures/
Archival and Other Holdings
The Art Library offers a diversified collection of documents in the areas of art history, modern and contemporary visual arts, architecture, photography, and Portuguese design, as well as on different subjects relevant to the study and knowledge of the art collections of the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum and the Modern Art Centre.
The Gulbenkian Archives have a collection in which the themes are directly or indirectly related to the life and work of Calouste Sarkis Gulbenkian and the history of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.
Opening Times
Reading Room: every working day from 10:00 – 19:00.
The consultation of documentation in any area of the Reading Room must finish until 15 minutes before the closing time of the service (18:45 in Wintertime and 17:15 in Summertime).
Conditions of Access
The reading room and reference service of the Art Library and the Gulbenkian Archives may be accessed by Portuguese and foreign citizens of adult age who need specialized information. National and foreign citizens aged 16 to 17 may also access these services, exclusively for consultation of the Art Library’s current collections.
The use of the reading room requires prior registration of the user, whose data will be processed in accordance with the Data Protection Policy in force at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. Registration will result in the possession of a user card that is personal and non-transferable. The card contains a code that identifies the user, and its use is necessary for entering and leaving the reading room and for all document reservation and request procedures. The user card is free of charge.
User registration can be done:
- In person at the reference service, during its opening hours.
- By e-mail by sending the following data to artlib@gulbenkian.pt: identification, date of birth, reasons why you wish to use the reading services. The services will send the user, by e-mail, the enrolment confirmation, and your card number, with which you will be able to request documents. On your first visit to the reading room, you must confirm the registration and collect the User Card from the reference service.
Only users with a valid user card may access the reading room. Access is also subject to:
- have made a request for documentation using one of the schemes provided: https://gulbenkian.pt/biblioteca-arte/en/services/reading-service/.
- have been assigned a seat, according to the room’s capacity. For reasons connected with the Foundation’s internal security, the entry of people and goods may be restricted. The entry is only permitted with items that are essential for consulting the documentation. All other personal items must be taken to the cloakroom located in the Art Library’s outdoor atrium.
When using the reading room, the following conditions must be observed:
- When entering and leaving the reading room the user must identify him/herself with his/her card on the ID scanners and, if necessary, with the security staff.
- The reading room of the Art Library is exclusively for consulting the documentary collections of the Library and Archives. The entrance and consultation of publications from outside is not allowed.
- The reading room is a space dedicated to study and research and its atmosphere should encourage concentration. As such, group work is not permitted, nor is conversation among users.
- It is not allowed to eat, drink, or change the position of the equipment available.
- Mobile phones should be kept in silence mode.
- For the preservation of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s documentary heritage, it is not allowed to write, underline, annotate or make decals on the documents being consulted, fold sheets, force the bindings or perform any other harmful acts.
- Each user is responsible for the books requested from the moment they are received until they are returned and checked by the reception staff.
- It is not allowed the exchange or cession of works between users, nor the transportation, even temporarily, of the species out of the reading room.
- Each user must report any anomaly or deficiency detected in the species being consulted or in the equipment used.
All guidelines and recommendations for consultation and handling of species and equipment transmitted by the staff on duty in the Reading Room must be complied with.
Research Services
The reference service welcomes and registers new users of the collections of the Gulbenkian Art Library and the Gulbenkian Archives, and annually renews their registration.
It provides specialist guidance and support in defining research strategies, and efficient use of the catalogue, accessing and consulting special collections, and archives, and researching other sources of information in its specialist fields. Service Reference is also designed to answer to brief questions and information.
The support of the reference service can be provided in person, from Monday to Friday, from 10:00 to 17:30, or remotely, by telephone (+351) 217 823 458 or at the e-mail addresses: artlib@gulbenkian.pt & arquivos@gulbenkian.pt
Reproduction Services
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation allows access to and viewing of the documents, videos, and images from its collection, which, under no circumstances may they be subject to reproduction, alteration, distribution, sale, dissemination or transfer to third parties unless previously authorised in writing by the Foundation.
The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation reserves the right to establish restrictions, namely regarding quality, or to condition the visualisation of part or all the documents in its collection, namely for editorial or legal reasons. Access to and viewing of the images and documents does not in itself imply the transfer of copyright and related rights thereto or the granting of any licence.
The reproduction and authorisation to use documents, videos and images from the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s collection (except for documents belonging to the General Collections) must be requested using the appropriate form, duly filled in and submitted to the Gulbenkian Art Library Archives for its evaluation.
If granted, the permission for reproduction and use shall be formalised through an agreement between the requesting user and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. In the context of any use, it is mandatory to identify the credits (Author, Title, Date) of the document including its provenance (“Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation – Archives” or “Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation – Art Library”).
Use may also be subject to payment of fees.
You must check for third party rights and obtain all other permissions necessary to conduct your activities without infringing property rights, breaching a duty, or violating an agreement with a third party.
Without prejudice to the terms and conditions referred to above, in the case of current publications, without access restrictions, of the Art Library, their reproduction may also be made on a self-service basis, in strict compliance with the legislation in force.
These reproductions may be made with personal photographic equipment or through reprography and digitalisation machines existing in the Reading Room. In the latter case, reproduction has a cost and requires the use of a card that is acquired in an equipment placed in the Library’s entrance area (see price list: https://gulbenkian.pt/biblioteca-arte/en/services/reproduction-of-documents/pricelist/).