Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes de Asunción - History - Juan Silvano Godoy

Juan Silvano Godoy

For those same years, Juan Silvano Godoi, (1850–1926) a politician wealthy Paraguayan family, is given the task of shaping the first collection of plastic arts that come to the country.

Due to the difficulties of Paraguayan politics, was forced to travel abroad on numerous occasions, which provided it with the purchase of a valuable collection of paintings and sculptures, among which works outstand Courbet, Murillo, Tintoretto, among others. Juan Silvano Godoi tilted mainly toward the late 19th century painting, ranging from simple naturalism and academicism. His collection also was enriched by artists from Rio de la Plata.

In the early years of the 20th century, the Paraguayan Government expressed the wish that all his works, were reunited within a institution, thereby laying the foundations for the current National Museum of Fine Arts.

The Museum Godoy was finally established in 1909 under the direction of itself Godoy, until his death. In 1939, the institution was formalized by the State as National Museum of Bellas Artes.