EDP, a company that operates across all segments of the country’s electricity industry, is sponsoring the No retrato do rei dom João VI exhibition, celebrating the bicentennial anniversary of the monarch’s coronation as king of Portugal, Brazil and the Algarve. This is the first of a series of cultural events that the Company plans to sponsor through 2022, the year Brazil celebrates 200 years of Independence.

At the exhibition will be open between November 29 and February 17, 2019, at the National History Museum in Rio de Janeiro. The exhibition’s theme is the process of building John VI image as king,based on a wide overview of the iconography depicting a decisive character in Portuguese and Brazilian history between the 18 th and 19 th centuries.

At the catalogue includes 24 paintings from Portuguese and Brazilian institutions, private collections and the MHN’s own archive. In addition to the paintings, the exhibition will also display decorations, medals, coins, fans, engravings and a replica of the 1818 crown - a total of around 60 items.

“As Brazil’s largest Portuguese investor, EDP is pleased to support an event that celebrates and strengthens the historical bond between our countries. This exhibition is the beginning of EDP’s cultural calendar celebrating the 200-year anniversary of Brazilian Independence”, said Miguel Setas, president of EDP in Brazil.

Live restorations

Athose who visit the exhibition will be able to witness a live restoration of a large-scale John VI painting (2x3 meters) by Luiz Fernando Abreu, a technician from the MHN Restoration Laboratory, who will be assisted by students from the Fine Arts School at the Federal University of Rio De Janeiro.

At the work, which was painted by a practically unknown Brazilian artist, Antônio Alves, is a copy of a work by Italian artist Domenico Pellegrini (1759-1840). Interestingly, the Terreiro do Paço, in Lisbon, can be seen through one of the windows in the Italian’s original painting. In Alves’ painting, the sight is replaced by the Guanabara Bay and Sugar Loaf Mountain. The painting will be the exhibition’s main legacy after the event has ended.

At the initiative also includes an educational program, offering transportation and meals for one thousand school visits while the exhibition is open. The event is organized by the National History Museum and the Brazilian Museum Institute. The exhibition is jointly sponsored by the Itaú Cultural Institute and the São Fernando Institute, with support from the Portuguese Ministry of Culture and the Portuguese Embassy in Brazil, the Camões Institute from Brasília and the MHN Friends Association. The even is produced by Artepadilla.

Historical investment

EDP believes that supporting the culture and arts of Portuguese-speaking countries helps showcase the richness and diversity of the most frequently-spoken language in the southern hemisphere. Appreciate the Portuguese language is one of the Company’s watchwords and it was based on this that EDP made the biggest donation to rebuild the Portuguese Language Museum in São Paulo, a BRL 20 million investment.

EDP has also created a travelling exhibition called “The Power of the Portuguese Language” (A Energia da Língua Portuguesa) to take the Museum’s experience across the country. The exhibition travelled inside a truck, bringing culture and information about the language to more than 22 thousand visitors in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, Bahia and Ceará. The Company is also a cultural sponsor of the 25th International Book Biennial in São Paulo and co-sponsor of the International Literary Festival in Paraty (FLIP).

Technical Details

Exhibition: ‘O retrato do rei dom João VI’ (The picture of King John VI)

General Coordinator: National History Museum

Curator: Paulo Knauss/ MHN Director

Proponent: MHN Friends Association

Executive Producer: Artepadilla/ Roberto Padilla

Design: Cristiane João/ MHN Museographer.

Service

Date: From November 29 to February 17, 2019

Where: National History Museum

Visits: Tuesday to Friday, from 10:00 to 17:30; Saturday, Sunday and holidays, from 13:00 to 17:00

Prices:   BRL 10 (full price) and BRL 5 (student discount). Free entry on Sundays. Discover other free events at mhn.museus.gov.br

For further Information, please see: (21) 3299 0324 (reception)

National History Museum

At the National History Museum (MHN), dedicated to Brazilian History, is located in Rio de Janeiro’s historical city center. The museum inaugurated in 1922 as part of the celebrations for the one-hundred year anniversary of the Brazilian Independence. The museum is part of the Brazilian Museum Institute (Ibram) and holds a wide collection comprised of around 350 thousand items, including manuscripts, iconography, furniture, armory, sculptures, garments, etc.