Statues - Hither & Thither

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Lisboa
(Fr. de Santa Maria Maior)
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Praça Dom Pedro IV
(Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II)

Esculturas na fachada do Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II

Sculptures at the façade of the National Theatre

Description

The building was constructed between 1842 and 1846 to a Neoclassical design by Italian architect Fortunato Lodi and is the best representative of Neoclassical architecture of Palladian influence in Lisbon. The main feature of the façade is a portico (hexastyle) with six Ionic columns reused from the Saint Francis Convent of Lisbon and a triangular pediment. The tympanum of the pediment is decorated with a sculpted relief showing Apollo and the Muses, it dates from 1847 and was sculpted by Francisco Assis Rodrigues.

Top of the portico

The pediment is topped by a statue of Renaissance playwright Gil Vicente (c. 1464 - c. 1536, Wikipedia), considered the founder of Portuguese theatre. Ironically, some of Gil Vicente's plays had been censured by the Portuguese Inquisition in the late 16th century. On the sides are statues of the muses of Drama and Tragedy. These three statues date from 1848 and are also sculpted by Francisco Assis Rodrigues.

Lisboa - Esculturas na fachada do Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II
Melpomene (Tragédia / Drama), with a dagger and a cup
Statue of Gil Vicente
Tália (Comédia) / Thalia (Comedy), with a mask and a laurel wreath

Lisboa - Esculturas na fachada do Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II
Apolo e as Musas / Apollo and the Muses. In the center sits Apollo, accompanied by seven muses, from left to right: Polyhymnia, Urania, Erato(?), Clio, (Apollo), Euterpe, Terpsichore and Caliope.

On the ends of the upper level of the front façade are four reliefs. The the left allegories for the night (Thanatos and Nyx), to the right for the day (Eros and Psyche):

Lisboa - Esculturas na fachada do Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II
Thanatos (God of Dead), man with with bat wings and a small bat.
Nyx (Goddess of Night), woman with bat wings, putting a child into bed.

Eros, man with angel wings, holding a set of arrows.
Psykê, woman with butterfly wings, holding a torch and a box.

Above the windows of the first floor are on the front and side façades are 21 panels with a portrait medaillon and a guirlande. Left façade:

Lisboa - Esculturas na fachada do Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II
1.
2.

Front façade (nrs. 9-13 are under the portico):

Lisboa - Esculturas na fachada do Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.
8.

9.
10.
11.

12.
13.
14.

15.
16.
17.

18.
19.

Right façade:

Lisboa - Esculturas na fachada do Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II
20.
21.

Sculptor

Francisco de Assis Rodrigues (1801-1877), Portuguese sculptor.

Sources & Information

Wikipedia, Teatro Nacional Dona Maria II.
Lusophia, Hugo M. D. Martins, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II (o Palco Divino).
Camões Instituo, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II.
Sílvia Lucas Vieira de Almeida, Forma e conceito na escultura de oitocentos, Ph.D. Thesis Universidade Nova de Lisboa, 2012 (PDF on-line).

Locatie (N 38°42'52" - W 9°8'23") (Satellite view: Google Maps)

Item Code: ptli009; Photograph: 28 August 2017
Of each statue we made photos from various angles and also detail photos of the various texts.
If you want to use photos, please contact us via the contact form (in Dutch, English or German).
© Website and photos: René & Peter van der Krogt

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Thanatos (God of Dead), man with with bat wings and a small bat.	Nyx (Goddess of Night), woman with bat wings, putting a child into bed.
Eros, man with angel wings, holding a set of arrows.	Psykê, woman with butterfly wings, holding a torch and a box.