Symposium on Josefa de Óbidos at the National Gallery

The Gaudium Magnum Foundation concluded its London programme with the international symposium Josefa de Óbidos: Painter of the Portuguese Baroque, held at the National Gallery on 3 July 2026.

Bringing together leading scholars and museum professionals from Europe and the United States, the symposium explored Josefa de Óbidos’ artistic production, influence, and place within the wider Iberian Baroque tradition. The programme also addressed broader themes including artistic exchange, female artistic practice in the seventeenth century, and Portugal’s global material culture.

The symposium featured presentations by Susana Varela Flor (Universidade NOVA de Lisboa), Salvador Salort-Pons (Detroit Institute of Arts), Charlotte Chastel-Rousseau (Musée du Louvre), Carmen Ripollés (Portland State University), and Daniel Sobrino Ralston (National Gallery), whose contributions generated stimulating discussions among scholars, museum professionals, students, and members of the public.

Held in dialogue with the National Gallery’s exhibition dedicated to Francisco de Zurbarán (1598–1664), the symposium provided an opportunity to reconsider the artistic exchanges between Portugal and Spain during the seventeenth century, while contributing to a broader international understanding of the Portuguese Baroque and its place within the history of European art.

The event also celebrated the publication of the first English-language scholarly monograph dedicated to Josefa de Óbidos, authored by Dr Carmen Ripollés marking another important milestone in the international study of the artist.

As the concluding event of the Foundation’s London programme, the symposium reaffirmed the Foundation’s commitment to supporting research, fostering international collaboration, and creating opportunities for Portuguese cultural heritage to engage with international scholarly, museum, and public audiences.

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

• Private Passion / Public Project: Opening the London Programme 
• Josefa de Óbidos and the Portuguese Baroque: Selected Works from the Gaudium Magnum Collection