Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro paintings discovered in Portuguese garage

The family of Abel Lacerda, founder of the Museu do Caramulo, has discovered two wooden pillars painted by the renowned artist Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro. The pieces had been stored in a garage at the family home in Caramulo, Tondela, for over 70 years.

Family members Madalena Gouveia Reis and her relatives noted that the columns were kept in a garage within the house Lacerda built. Upon inspecting the items, which were protected by a cover, they identified interesting paintings and sought expert verification.

Art historian and curator Pedro Lapa, a former director of the Museu Nacional de Arte Contemporânea - Museu do Chiado, confirmed the authenticity via digital photography. Lapa noted that the decorative paintings, which feature themes such as dance and courtship, appear to belong to the same period as works located in the Hotel da Lapa. He described the pieces as having a special, creative, and more liberated quality.