Apart from its magnificent natural and industrial resources facilitating economic growth, Portugal also has a very rich cultural heritage. In various fields like painting, music and literature, Portuguese cultural activity is one to be bestowed with glory and praise.

Painting

The most prominent Portuguese painters of the 15th century belonged to the Gothic period in painting like Nuno Gonsalves. Significant naturalist painters include Teofilo Braga, Jose Malhoa and Antero de Quental. With the arrival of the modernist phase in painting in the twentieth century, one can come across various proficient artists who dominated fine arts during this period. Further with the advancement of time, influence of other movements like cubism and futuristic tendencies could be noticed in the works of many painters. Some of the notable painters of this period include Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso. Modern Portuguese painters proficient in visual arts include Julio Pomar, Vieira da Silva and Paula Rego.

Music

In the field of music, Portuguese music covers a plethora of generic styles beginning with the ‘fado’ which is the most significant one. They usually refer to urban music styles played with the accompaniment of a Portuguese guitar. Some of the famous musical performers include Mariza, Carlos Paredes, José Afonso and many others. Several musical festivals like Festival de Paredes de Coura, Festival Sudoeste etc are organized to celebrate the magical prowess of music.

Literature

The roots of Portuguese literature can be traced back as early as the 14th century with the troubadour poets who were the roaming minstrels. Both Spanish and Portuguese drama owes its origin and development to the prolific writer Gil Vicente. Some of the well known literary scholars of the present times include Camilo Castelo Branco, Antonio Lobo Antunes, Almeida Garrett, Fernando Pessoa etc. In fact in 1998, Portuguese writer Jose Saramago was honored by the Nobel Prize for literature.