Sunday, September 25, 2011

Institute of Menezes Braganza

Institute of Menezes Braganza
http://goacentrallibrary.gov.in/images/cl-home1.jpg

A vital part of Goa’s cultural panorama is The Institute Menezes Braganza which was established in the year 1871. It is an enriching storehouse of priceless paintings and antiques right from the time the Portuguese were ruling Goa. Initially it was called the Institute Vasco da Gama. This was later renamed after Menezes Braganza, an eminent Goan freedom fighter.

The Menezes Braganza museum boasts of a valuable collection of sculptures, paintings, and drawings. Its enviable repertoire contains 250 original works in the form of oil paintings, prints, and sculptures of European and Portuguese masters of the 19th century, including father of modern art Cezanne, Henry Russo, Renoir, Groze, Pissaro and Mattis Broque, a contemporary of Picasso. The Institute also contains over 50 collections of Indian masters like M F Hussain, Laxman Pai, Prafull Dahanukar, Souza, Raza, etc. The most prominent among the historical artifacts is the famous "Inquisition table" on which the council of the Inquisition's proceedings was conducted. It also houses the Central Library of the Institute, founded in 1832, which is the oldest public library in India.

No comments:

Post a Comment