Pinacoteca de São Paulo

Pinacoteca de São Paulo is a museum of visual arts with an emphasis on Brazilian production from the nineteenth century to the present day. Founded in 1905 by the São Paulo State Government, it is the city’s oldest art museum. It was set up in the old building of the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios [School], designed in the late nineteenth century by the architectural firm of Ramos de Azevedo, and later underwent an extensive renovation project designed by architect Paulo Mendes da Rocha, in the late 1990s.

The Pinacoteca’s original collection was formed with the transfer of 20 works of art from Museu Paulista of the University of São Paulo by some of the city’s foremost artists, such as Almeida Júnior, Pedro Alexandrino, Antônio Parreiras, and Oscar Pereira da Silva. Over the years, it has formed a significant collection, with nearly 10,000 works. Since 2006, the Pinacoteca has been administered by Associação Pinacoteca Arte e Cultura. It currently holds around 30 exhibits and receives roughly 500,000 visitors a year.