Private Passion / Public Program: Opening the London Programme

The Gaudium Magnum Foundation opened its London programme dedicated to Josefa de Óbidos and the Portuguese Baroque by participating in Private Passion / Public Project, a panel discussion organised by Classic Art London at Burlington House. Bringing together representatives of leading private collections, the event explored the evolving role of private patronage, stewardship, and long-term cultural investment in supporting research, education, and wider access to cultural heritage.

The discussion featured Valentina Rossi (Gaudium Magnum Foundation – Maria and João Cortez de Lobão), Amparo Martinez-Russotto (The Klesch Collection), Caterina Badan (The Schroder Collection), and Anita Viola Sganzerla (The Katrin Bellinger Collection), and was moderated by Marie Tavinor, Programme Director of the Royal Academy of Arts’ Executive MA in Cultural Leadership and Co-Chair of The Society for the History of Collecting.

As the opening event of the Foundation’s London programme, the panel introduced many of the themes that would shape the following days: the role of private collections in advancing scholarship, fostering international collaboration, and making cultural heritage accessible through research, exhibitions, and public engagement.

The event concluded with a networking reception that brought together museum professionals, scholars, collectors, and cultural practitioners from across the United Kingdom and beyond.

This event formed part of the Foundation’s London programme dedicated to Josefa de Óbidos and the Portuguese Baroque, which also included:

• Josefa de Óbidos and the Portuguese Baroque: Selected Works from the Gaudium Magnum Collection 
• Josefa de Óbidos: Painter of the Portuguese Baroque