Oil and Old Masters:  Calouste Gulbenkian as Collector and Oil Titan

by Jonathan Conlin

Dear Members and Guests,

We invite you to join us for the 5th lecture of the season given by Jonathan Conlin on ‘Oil and Old Masters:  Calouste Gulbenkian as Collector and Oil Titan’ in the Atrium on Tuesday 10th February 2026 at 20.00 hours.

The Gulbenkian Museum is Lisbon's finest museum, yet the man behind this collection, Calouste Gulbenkian (1869-1955) known as "Mr Five Per Cent" on account of his personal holding of five per cent of Middle East oil production, was an enigmatic and publicity-shy figure, about whom little was known.  This talk by the author of the definitive biography of Gulbenkian weaves together the history of a great European collection (featuring Rembrandts bought from The Hermitage, as well as Lalique glass, carpets, Iznik ware, and Renaissance paintings) with that of the emergence of the modern oil industry - particularly Royal Dutch-Shell.

The lecturer will be present in the Atrium.  We are hoping that members and Guests will take the opportunity to come to the Atrium.  

For those unable to be present at the Atrium, this lecture will also be streamed via a Zoom to those who registered.

You are requested to sign up for the lecture beforehand, also if you are coming to join us in person at the Atrium, by clicking on the sentence at the 'How to book' section.