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Brazil’s artistic manifestations are an important representation of our culture and reveal an historic process of evolution and victories. Just like our people, our art is a reflection of various cultures, influenced by various countries.
The very beginning of our artistic development goes back to ceramic artifacts and colorful objects created by the indigenous population. Baroque art was introduced by the Jesuits and the Christian doctrine. The Portuguese royal family brought various other European art forms to Brazil and founded new art schools. After Brazil’s independence, artists like Victor Meirelles created nationalistic works that paid tribute to our nature and fatherland.
Brazilian modernism emerged in the first half of the 20th century and had a great impact on art and society. This broad cultural movement tried to break free from the established rules. The Week of Modern Art in 1922 set the stage for these new experiences. Anita Malfatti, Di Cavalcanti and Tarsila Amaral are some of the great names of Brazilian Modernism.
Art continued to evolve and Portinari made quite a splash with his painting Café, denouncing social inequality. The dictatorship forced artists to adopt new techniques and forms for observing people in nature. Political openness allowed artists to explore the theme of the human body. Art Naïf, which accompanied the other art movements, was portrayed in the works of Heitor dos Prazeres and Djanira.
Contemporary art has taken an unprecedented course, combining different materials. The introduction of photography has also contributed to a major transformation. Vik Muniz is an example of an internationally acclaimed artist, whose distinctive art uses perishable materials. The future only depends on the creativity and evolution of our people.
Great Brazilian works of art.
