The São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP). Who doesn’t love a good gallery? A quick spot of culture on your travels (and often a little Instagram moment to prove it) – it’s a different way to learn more about the place you’re visiting.

The entrance is underneath the building itself, so the MASP experience begins before you even enter the museum. Something you’ll get to know about me is that I love light (read more on my love for dappled sunlight in this post) and the sun was out in full force when I visited MASP. It created a gorgeous glow in the open space that made me very happy to be queuing to get in.

My trip to MASP was a bit of an impromptu one but somehow, the day I rocked up happened to be a Tuesday, which is the day that they offer free tickets every week! They sometimes offer free tickets on other random days so it’s worth checking it out ahead of your visit, to ensure that you don’t unnecessarily spend a month’s worth of Pão de Qeuijo on your entry fee. Or if you’re like me, a week’s worth.

The Picture Gallery was by far my favourite part and is probably one of my favourite rooms in a gallery that I’ve ever visited. Woah, big statement! Yes, it is. And I only tend to make them when I mean them. A few Parisian galleries are sharing that crown too of course, but why does the Picture Gallery at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo compare?

Well this is just one person’s opinion, but I loved the layout of the room. Bare with me here because this is more than just well-placed decor. I’ve never visited another gallery that doesn’t have a single piece of artwork on the wall, but instead has easels filling the entire room in what MASP themselves call “a forest of artworks”, along with the odd statue. If you know somewhere else like this, please let me know and I shall be on my way shortly.

There were pieces of art from across more than 700 years in one space and they were presented in chronological order, which meant that no one piece was presented in a prime location with more attention being directed to it. There was no set pathway for you to walk, so you could move freely through the artwork, either gradually making your way back in time as you zigzag down the room from front to back, or turning time backwards and forwards again if you snake through the space on your own route.

Another small factor that I loved (but admittedly found a little annoying at first) was that the details about the work were on the back. Usually at a gallery, I might get a glimpse at a painting and then immediately look at the info next to it to see what’s going on. Not having the details immediately available forced me to spend longer just taking it in and appreciating the work first. I could spend a little longer forming my own opinion and letting it make its impression on me.

There were paintings from well-known impressionist artists like Renoir and Monet, some early works from Picasso and some brilliant Brazilian artists too. One of the most captivating paintings in the room was of Paulo Alfonso Waterfall from 1850 by a German artist who spent a lot of time in Brazil called E.F. Schute. As with every painting, you can’t fully appreciate it through a photo, but people who can make water look realistic on a canvas are seriously talented people.

I have to be honest; the rest of the gallery didn’t really do it for me, but that’s probably in large part because I was pretty tired by this point, having been shopping in the morning. The other exhibitions weren’t mind blowing for me but still great. However when they’re making some kind of social or cultural commentary, I like to read about it and understand the context; the reason it was created and how the artist was influenced by their life circumstances, lived experiences or stories.

This information was all there, but the problem was that I’d hit a wall and could no longer process the words in front of me. You know when you reach that point where you’re tired, you’re hungry, your feet hurt and if you could teleport yourself anywhere in that moment, you’d bypass the seven wonders of the world just to get to your bed? Yeah, that’s where I was at.

I did, however, manage to whip my brain into gear enough to appreciate some of the pieces from the Indigenous Histories exhibition, particularly the works of Edgar Kanaykõ Xakriabá and Alexander Luna.

I will say this though – I expected more. As in, I thought the place would be bigger and display more art. Not a bad thing but I think I’m used to the likes of the National Gallery and the Tate which are so big that you could spend at least a whole day there if you wanted to. Those galleries have exhibitions of every kind so you can pick what you want to see based on your interests. I suppose I assumed that MASP would be the same as it’s a major museum in a huge city, but they are two hugely different cities and countries, and ultimately just different galleries.

The upside to this smaller selection is that it’s far less overwhelming and, should you choose to visit every room, your experience comes pre-curated, meaning you won’t leave with the feeling that you’ve missed out on something. Highly recomend a trip to MASP if you’re looking to fill half a day on Avenida Paulista.