Misplaced Pages

Candido Portinari

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.

Candido Portinari (December 29, 1903 – February 6, 1962) was a Brazilian painter. He is considered one of the most important Brazilian painters as well as a prominent and influential practitioner of the neo-realism style in painting.

#435564

38-621: Portinari painted more than five thousand canvases, from small sketches to monumental works such as the Guerra e Paz panels, which were donated to the United Nations Headquarters in 1956. Portinari developed a social preoccupation throughout his oeuvre and maintained an active life in the Brazilian cultural and political worlds. Born to Giovan Battista Portinari and Domenica Torquato, Italian immigrants from Chiampo Vicenza , Veneto , in

76-497: A "monumental book of art which teaches Brazilians to love more their land". Portinari was capable of transcending his original academic formation by experiencing with and absorbing modernist techniques and styles, which fundamentally created his painting personality. The range and sweep of his output includes paintings depicting rural and urban labour, refugees fleeing the hardships of Brazil's rural north-east; and, despite these major and better known aspects of his work, treatments of

114-413: A character that looks strong, competent, and noble. In this, he is demonstrating that the workers were not broken. Instead, they were proud and independent. Portinari used his culture and life experience to add to the explanation of what Brazil is in a distinctive style. In Cocoa (1938) Portinari depicts workers on the coffee plantations. A woman is seen in the back balancing a crate on her head and there

152-461: A coffee plantation near Brodowski , in São Paulo . Growing up on a coffee plantation of dark soil and blue sky, Portinari gained his inspiration from the homeland he loved. In the majority of his later paintings, murals and frescoes, he used the colour blue and many browns and reds because this was the color of his home. One of Portinari's beginner jobs was drawing photographs where he closely captured

190-458: A decline in his health. Despite this, Portinari was dedicated to finishing his masterpieces, through which he hoped to send an important message to the world. He was able to complete the timeless murals, though, this cost him his health: he died on 6 February 1962 due to lead intoxication. Nevertheless, Portinari remains eternal through his numerous paintings, including the murals of War and Peace . As UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon stated during

228-442: A moment of silence in order to honour Portinari and his contributions. Overall, the murals were acknowledged as a symbol of obtaining and working towards worldwide peace. Portinari reportedly sacrificed his own health for the murals, as during the long-term process of creating the artworks Portinari became increasingly sick because of the paint he used. Doctors had warned him about being intoxicated due to inhalation, which would cause

266-600: A representation of the worldwide struggle for peace. The whole set of paintings work together as a representation of the atrocity of war and the importance of peace in the world. War and Peace were re-inaugurated in the United Nations Headquarters on 8 September 2015. The murals were celebrated by several guests, among whom were several heads of states, iconic artists, and the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon . During this event people shared

304-564: A result of lead poisoning from his paints. On December 20, 2007, his painting O Lavrador de Café  [ pt ] was stolen from the São Paulo Museum of Art along with Pablo Picasso's Portrait of Suzanne Bloch . The paintings remained missing until January 8, 2008, when they were recovered in Ferraz de Vasconcelos by the Police of São Paulo . The paintings were returned, undamaged, to

342-399: Is a child in the painting. This was meant to signify that children were present during this hard work as well, and were encouraged to help the parents. Land was given to families in return for their labor on the plantations where they took care of their share. Here too is included the use of blues and oranges to truly capture the significance of Brazil, which was Portinari's desire. This artwork

380-505: Is important because he was a prominent artist during the Brazilian Modernism era. As such, his perspective gave a more proud and dignified view of the workers at that time. While other artists like Lasar Segall with Bananal and Tarsila do Amaral with Workers provided a picture of the workers that removed personality and made each individual anonymous, Portinari did the opposite. For example, in his painting, The Mestizo , he paints

418-515: Is indeed attainable. Guerra e Paz is the synthesis of an entire life committed to human beings. His painting, like his militant political views, spoke out against injustice, violence and misery in the world, according to the artist's son, João Candido Portinari . In the Hispanic Foundation of the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. are located four murals that Portinari did in 1941 depicting

SECTION 10

#1733106585436

456-477: Is one of the cities of São Paulo founded by immigrants. Ferraz de Vasconcelos was founded by two Italian immigrants, Helmuth Hans Hermann and Henry Louis Baxmann Kaesemodel. Polo Italy Grape production in Brazil , the city is a pioneer in the cultivation of fruit. The first seedlings reach the hands of Italian immigrants who fixate on site. With the coming of Japanese agriculture becomes the main economic source. Today,

494-673: The Communist Party . The panels were originally placed in the entrance hall of the United Nations General Assembly and were therefore viewable only by diplomats, heads of state and other delegates addressing the Assembly. Because of security issues, the paintings were not visible even to visitors on guided tours of the UN. However, the panels were still exposed to sunlight, and during the next 54 years, that exposure took its toll on

532-689: The New York World's Fair . In the following year, Portinari had for the first time a canvas displayed at the Museum of Modern Art . The rise of fascism in Europe, the wars and the close contact with Brazilian problematic society, reaffirmed the social character of his work, as well as conducting him to political engagement. He joined the Brazilian Communist Party and stood for deputy in 1945 and for senator in 1947, but had to flee to Uruguay to escape

570-712: The United Nations General Assembly Building at the United Nations headquarters in New York, as a gift from the Brazilian government. Once the completed set of paintings were received in 1956 by the UN headquarters in New York City, they were placed behind glass frames in order to help prevent damage from the public. Portinari was banned from entering the US to inaugurate the panels, due to his participation in

608-483: The Brazilian people who struggled to survive. This led to Portinari's desire to raise global awareness of the human pain which he tried to depict in almost every painting. Portinari also greatly affected the future Brazilian generation of artists, musicians, poets and composers. Having vastly traveled Europe, studying their art, their technique and styles, he came back to Brazil hoping to create his personal method and interpret his own style. Instead of continuing to imitate

646-536: The European appearance, Portinari painted what he experienced and his life. Portinari's works urged emerging artists to pursue their own, unique style particular to their lives, experiences and reality in their country. This is also another reason blues, reds, and oranges were so commonly used in his art; the colors of his homeland. Projeto Portinari , begun in 1979 is dedicated to Candido Portinari by his son Joao Candido to revive his works, make them more known and preserve

684-801: The Museu de Arte de São Paulo – MASP, in 1997. Nicolás Guillén's and Horacio Salinas's ‘Un son para Portinari’, famously performed by Mercedes Sosa , is dedicated to the artist. Candido Portinari name continues to be seen today. Rodovia Candido Portinari is a State highway located in Brazil in São Paulo. Paintings and murals War and Peace (Portinari) War and Peace ( Portuguese : Guerra e Paz ) are two paintings made by Brazilian painter Candido Portinari between 1952 and 1956. They are 14.32 metres (47.0 ft) tall and 10.66 metres (35.0 ft) large each. They were painted for permanent exhibition in

722-511: The São Paulo Museum of Art. There were a number of commemorative events in the centenary of his birth in 2003, including an exhibition of his work in London. Portinari's works comprehend a strong will to represent Brazilian people and their traits. Portinari himself said he would "paint that people with that clothing and that color". According to Antonio Callado , Portinari's oeuvre demonstrate

760-477: The United Nations see the terrible toll of war and the universal dream for peace." The two panels do not feature any weapons, but instead feature the suffering of victims from war, which illustrates the barbarity of combat. The contrast between the elements of chaos and harmony show the importance of maintaining peace and the attempts to end violent conflicts. Though painted in the 1950s, they were, and still are

798-678: The exact image using paints and then enlarging the photos. These sold successfully because the resemblance was astounding. Portinari then studied at the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes (National School of Fine Arts) in Rio de Janeiro. In 1923, 1925 and 1927 Portinari won prizes at the Salon, and in 1928 he got a scholarship offered by the Brazilian government to study in Europe for three years. During his time in Europe Portinari did little painting, but studied

SECTION 20

#1733106585436

836-649: The family chapel in his childhood home in Brodowski to his panels Guerra e Paz ( War and Peace ) in the United Nations building in New York and four murals in the Hispanic Reading Room of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. As previously mentioned, Candido Portinari came from a poor immigrant family. This allowed him to have a unique perspective on Brazilian culture and what it meant to truly be Brazilian. This

874-554: The figures’ arms and legs to show their strength. In the Teaching of the Indians , Portinari tries to create a scene of a priest or Spanish "Jesuit father" with Indians and obvious unity. Also the presence of the red Brazilian soil. The last mural, Discovery of Gold the artist chooses to paint just a single boat and specific people to represent that they had found gold. The Brazilian government paid for Portinari to travel to Washington to create

912-498: The history. Not only was his son able to locate more than 5,000 paintings, he also found thousands of drawings, sketches, and documents related to Portinari's life and travels and interactions. The Catalogue Raisonné of Portinari's complete works was published in 2004. It was the first Raisonné covering the complete works of a Latin American painter. "Projeto Portinari" also curated the first retrospective exhibition of Portinari's oeuvre, at

950-570: The key events in the history of Brazil since the arrival of the Portuguese in 1500, images of childhood, portraits of members of his family and leading Brazilian intellectuals, illustrations for books and tiles decorating the Church of São Francisco at Pampulha , Belo Horizonte . His career coincided with and included collaboration with Oscar Niemeyer amongst others. Portinari's works can be found in galleries and settings in Brazil and abroad, ranging from

988-563: The masterpieces. In 2010, the UN sent the works to Rio de Janeiro for restoration. After going through a long restoration process, the paintings were displayed to the public in Brazil and France, before being sent back to New York in December 2014. The murals remained covered until the re-inauguration on 8 September 2015. During the re-inauguration Ban Ki-moon also stated, " War and Peace are more than magnificent works of art. They are Portinari’s call to action. Thanks to him, all leaders who enter

1026-474: The modernist avant-gardes . Portinari remained himself and didn't allow his new experiences and new outlooks changed him. His roots remained important to him and he strove to portray this in his paintings; the true Brazilian spirit. He wanted the world to see the harsh reality of living conditions in Brazil and the struggle for survival. Strength, hard work, independence and authenticity shows through in almost every one of his works. In 1939, Portinari exhibited at

1064-560: The murals and represent their country. Portinari once said, "I am the Son of the Red Earth. I decided to paint the Brazilian reality, naked and crude as it is." Life in Brazil wasn't easy for Portinari, especially considering he was never wealthy, but his desire to show proof of this reality is evident in all his artworks. Poor housing, inadequate nutrition, no education, little or no healthcare access and various diseases created desperate situations for

1102-451: The persecution of communists during the government of Eurico Gaspar Dutra . In 1951, the first São Paulo Art Biennial dedicated a special room for his works. He returned to Brazil in the following year, after a declaration of general amnesty from the government. In 1956, after the United Nations had appealed to its affiliated countries for the donation of a work of art to the organization's new headquarters. Brazil designated Portinari for

1140-489: The re-installation, "Portinari is no longer alive, but his legacy will live forever at the United Nations. Let us realize his vision and move from war to peace." Ferraz de Vasconcelos Ferraz de Vasconcelos is a municipality in the state of São Paulo in Brazil . It is part of the Metropolitan Region of São Paulo . The population is 196,500 (2020 est.) in an area of 29.56 km . Ferraz de Vasconcelos

1178-520: The short bodies, rounder heads and the brown and red hues of the land. In The Mestizo (1934) he tries to present not just a portrait but an individual type of person. Portinari shows that Brazilian workers were tough and proud of their work because in the background of the Mestizo are seen the fields and all their hard work; his proud stance portrays confidence and strength. War and Peace (Guerra e Paz; Gustavo Capanema Palace in Rio de Janeiro; 1952–56)

Candido Portinari - Misplaced Pages Continue

1216-695: The struggles of the Hispanic Americans. Discovery of the Land, Entry into the Forest, Teaching of the Indians, and Discovery of Gold are all meant to represent the coming of the Spaniards and Portuguese to America and took him two months to complete with the help of his brother Luiz. The Discovery of the Land is meant to show common sailors that sailed the boats. Entry in the Forest is the "reminiscent of frescoes" where he also doesn't fail to capture his style of enlarging

1254-432: The task, who took four years and around 180 studies to complete the painting. Dag Hammarskjöld , UN Secretary-General , named the work "the most important monumental work of art donated to the UN". Even after being warned by the doctor of the risks of the toxins and poisoning, he didn't give up and continued to paint. Portinari suffered from ill health during the last decade of his life. He died in Rio de Janeiro in 1962 as

1292-441: The town hall and public buildings of the city are baptized Palace of Grape Italy. Ferraz de Vasconcelos is situated in the eastern region of Greater São Paulo. Altitude: 759 meters above sea level. Limits are Poa and Suzano east, São Paulo west, Mauá southwest Ribeirão Pires and south Itaquaquecetuba north . In telecommunications, the city was served by Companhia Telefônica da Borda do Campo . In July 1998, this company

1330-477: The variety of individuals. There was a large variety of ethnicities that lived in Brazil at this time. His works were meant to create a bridge between the multicultural individuals. This work is located in the United Nations General Assembly Building in New York which was created in remembrance to World War II and its horrors. It was meant to resemble something that should never occur again. Here, visitors come witnessing an epitome of war and leave realizing that peace

1368-460: The works of various European artists, visited museums, and met his future wife, Maria Martinelli. He came back to Brazil fully set on conveying the true Brazilian lifestyle and capturing the pain and struggles of his people through his art. After his return, Portinari began portraying the reality of Brazil, from its natural beauties to the harsh lives of the country's most impoverished populations, pursuing an amalgamation of his academic formation with

1406-639: Was a mural created when the United Nations asked Brazil to donate a work of art. Portinari created two murals to show war, agony, fear and pain that showed how the people suffered and were affected during the war. His use of blue hues in War created a contrast between the lighter yellows in Peace . The second was meant to express peace and happiness. Bento Antonio in his book Portinari , describes this work as, "a sort of innocent vision of paradise." With this mural, he also meant to connect different racial groups and show peace among

1444-415: Was described by saying "Brazil is being rescued from obscurity by ‘Portinari's Coffee’." Coffee (National Museum of Fine Arts, 1935) represents strong and resourceful workers. Their big hands and feet show they were strong and did not fear hard work. The people worked together to preserve their lands and survive. This painting is also a great depiction of "realism" because of how he captures his people with

#435564