September 1st, 1886, in the countryside of São Paulo, a girl named Tarsila do Amaral was born, a farmer’s daughter and the future of art in her country and the world. The most important figure of Modernism in Brazil, an aesthetic movement that attempted to seek for national life and authentic painting.
Tarsila do Amaral is considered one of the biggest painters of Brazil and Latin America’s history, besides being recognized internationally through exhibitions telling her story and promoting her art around the world.
- Tarsila’s Path
-
Her academic training focused on art started in Barcelona, where she painted ‘Sagrado Coração de Jesus’ (Sacred Heart of Jesus, 1904) at 18 years old.
When she came back to Brazil, she got married and started to learn about clay modeling. Years later, she divorced and moved to Paris, where she developed her studies on modernist art, representing her country with colors and themes related to European vanguards.
Her art shocked the population of the time because it was an innovative and revolutionary kind of art never seen before, which broke conservative standards and a view about art, which brought a lot of criticism to her job.
In 1923, the artist came back to Paris, where she matured her visual language through the time.
- ‘Pau Brasil’, Tarsila’s First Phase
-
Her first art phase started in 1924. Called “Pau Brasil”, her paintings were influenced by her husband’s job, “Manifesto Pau-Brasil”; a manifest that exalted nationalism. In her work, she praised Brazilian fauna and flora and urban modernism.
Tarsila used colors she liked during her childhood to paint, even though her mentors said it was too ‘countryside’ to be used in her work. Also, the painter was influenced by cubism she learned in Paris. Tarsila painted a lot of canvas during “Pau Brasil”, the most popular one may be ‘Carnaval em Madureira’ (Carnival in Madureira, 1924).
If you like, you can check others from “Pau Brasil” here.
- ‘Antropofagia’, Tarsila’s Second Phase
-
In her second phase, named “Antropofagia”, she created one of the most significant paintings of Brazilian art: ‘Abaporu’ (1928). The painting was created as a gift to her husband, Oswald de Andrade, who got inspired to write “Movimento Antropofágico”, symbolizing the power of Brazilian art to swallow European tendencies –that was the culture in force at the time- and make them unique. A way to appreciate Brazilian’s culture and art.
‘Abaporu’ has been influencing art until today. Last year, the painting came to Brazil in an exposition about Tarsila called “Tarsila Popular” at MASP –Museum of Art in São Paulo. The line to see the painting was very long, representing the importance of ‘Abaporu’ for Brazilian people and its culture.
If you like to check other painting from this phase, you can go here.
- ‘Social’, Tarsila’s Third Phase
-
Her third and last phase started in 1933. “Social” illustrated social problems at the time. Her most relevant painting of this phase is ‘Operários’ (Workers, 1933), the first painting to portray about the labor situation in Brazil.
She joined the Communist Party but was imprisoned for a month, which made her stay off politics after this.
Tarsila worked on many others paintings after “Social” phase, and even painted canvas for her formers phases.
You can check “Social” (and others) paintings here.
- Tarsila’s Legacy
-
The artist died in 1973, at 87 years old, but left her symbol and influence to the artistic movement that remains nowadays, besides providing to us how important it is to challenge tradition and propose innovations.
Almost 135 years after Tarsila was born, and her legacy is still known, her art is still unmatchable, and her paintings still contemporary.
————————————————————————-
The article above was edited by Laura Enchioglo.
Liked this type of content? Check Her Campus Casper Libero home page for more!