The Portuguese paintings “O Inferno” (in the image) and “Ecce Homo” are the most sought after in the videos posted online by the National Museum of Ancient Art (MNAA), in Lisbon, according to the institution, with more than 10,000 views direct.
Contacted by the Lusa agency, the director of the MNAA, Joaquim Caetano, underlined that maintaining the museum’s activity on digital platforms “is essential for the museum and also aims to attract new audiences”.
Closed since March 15, like all museums and monuments under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, following restrictions to combat the pandemic invite-19, the MNAA management decided to create new ways to publicize the collections of ancient art.
It all started with Father’s Day, on March 19, for which the museum’s educational service had planned to create a video for online placement, and in this way celebrate the father figure.
“São José e o Menino Jesus”, by the painter Josefa D’Óbidos was the work chosen to be filmed and described by the director, who quickly obtained over 6,000 views.
This interest, of thousands of direct views, not counting the many shares that are made by those who access, brought to the museum’s direction the certainty that “people were receptive and that was a channel to use”.
Since then, both Joaquim Caetano and the deputy director, Anísio Franco, and some conservatives have been creating new videos on pieces of painting, sculpture or decorative arts, belonging to the museum’s collections daily.
They are short videos, from three to five minutes, “created with an informal, direct, more intimate approach to the museum’s fundamental works”, which are posted on the ‘online’ website, on social networks and platforms such as Youtube, within the scope of a cycle “Art is a bridge that unites us”.
The works that have been most in demand by the public were the old Portuguese paintings “O Inferno” and “Ecce Homo”.
“O Inferno”, painted in 15010-1520 by an unknown Portuguese master, shows a medieval image of hell, populated by demons and an inventory of his torments, related to the capital sins mentioned by Christianity, such as gluttony, laziness or the envy.
The work “Ecce Homo”, also by an unknown Portuguese author, painted around 1570, represents Christ with a crown of thorns, covered by a white tunic, after being scourged.
Joaquim Caetano told the Lusa agency that the museum’s management also intends to make videos of important and larger works, such as the “Panels of São Vicente” or the triptych of Hieronymus Bosch “Temptations of Santo Antão”.
Globally, the covid-19 pandemic has already claimed more than 200,000 deaths and infected more than 2.7 million people in 193 countries and territories.
More than 720,000 patients were considered cured.
In Portugal, 854 people died of the 22,797 confirmed as infected, and there are 1,228 recovered cases, according to the figures released today by the Directorate-General for Health.
