Founded in 1901, the SNBA came about through the merging of the artistic guild “Grupo do Leão” (group of artists who regularly met at the Lion Beer-house in Lisbon), presided over by the artist Silva Porto, with the “Sociedade Promotora de Belas Artes”, (Society for the Promotion of Fine Art) dating back to 1861. Its headquarters, the “Palácio das Belas Artes” (Palace of Fine Art) by the architect Álvaro Machado, inaugurated in 1913, boasts an extensive exhibition hall, which is unique in the city of Lisbon. This private membership society brought about renewal and innovation in artistic movements, whether in landscape painting (“Ar-livrista” – late 19th century), the modernist work of the “Five Independents” (see “Salão dos Independentes” – SNBA, 1932) or the General Exhibitions of Visual Arts, a series of ten exhibitions at the SNBA which, between 1946 and 1956, came to affirm the importance of contemporary artistic trends in Portugal. Today, as of yesterday, the SNBA continues to assert itself as a home for freedom of artistic expression, hosting highly innovative exhibitions and ensuring annual evaluation and renovation.
The Art Training Programmes of SNBA stand out as examples of intervention and educational renovation of the highest quality.
