Illustrare – Journeys of Scientific Illustration in Portugal

Early on, a small-spotted catshark drawn by Jonathan Couch for his 1887 book on British fishes hangs next to the real thing, a preserved specimen lent by the Vasco da Gama Aquarium. Much of the show works that way: the drawing, then the animal it was drawn from.

You start with questions on the wall about who draws nature and why. Two sections on technique follow, from pencil sketch to woodcut, lithograph and offset, with cave art and Roman mosaics for comparison. Then come expeditions to Brazil, Asia and Africa, a section on deep-sea life, and contemporary Portuguese illustrators. Beside Garcia de Orta's book on India's medicinal plants sit the plants behind cinnamon and cloves, the back story of every pastel de nata.

Writing for Blimunda, Sara Figueiredo Costa found it a teaching show that also works as visual pleasure. Expect drawings, prints and books first. It runs until 31 December 2026, is covered by the museum ticket and is free on Sundays from 10:00 to 13:00.