Animal Traction in Cereal Farming Through the Lens of Artur Pastor
Artur Pastor produced a comprehensive photographic record of agricultural practices in the Alentejo region between 1940 and 1970. His work encompasses a wide range of techniques, from traditional ploughing methods to the most advanced and innovative approaches.
‘The poet of photography’
Artur Pastor, originally from Alter do Chão in the Alentejo region, has a background in both agriculture and photography. In the 1950s,
he was responsible for the establishment of the Photographic Archive of the General Directorate of Agricultural Services of the Ministry
of Economy.
Labouring with mules (1940/1960) by Artur PastorFaculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Porto
His proximity to the agricultural environment is reflected in his choice of subjects, having recorded the artisanal tasks of traditional
ploughing as well as modern and experimental agronomic processes. The collection acquired from Pastor's family was presented in the retrospective exhibition ‘Artur Pastor’, held in 2014.
Barley harvest (1954-04) by Artur PastorFaculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Porto
‘Alentejo, Alentejo, sacred land of bread’
From the second half of the nineteenth century onwards, the implementation of protectionist measures for cereal crops had the effect of transforming the landscape. Wheat became the preferred crop, marking the advent of a new era in Alentejo's agricultural history.
The moorland, wild and dense, gave way to extensive arable fields. As a result of the ploughing of this period, holm oaks and cork oaks began to dot the Alentejo landscape in a more dispersed way.
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‘Better bread than wealth’
At the present time, cereal farming does not represent a particularly significant aspect of agricultural production in Portugal, having
been superseded by more lucrative forms of crop cultivation. Nevertheless, some farmers continue to cultivate a variety of cereals that have a longstanding tradition.
I am indebted to the earth
The earth owes me
The earth pays me in life
I pay the earth in death
(Cancioneiro Alentejano)
In order for bread to grow from the land, preparations had to be made following a lengthy period of fallowing. Once the land had been cleared, the ploughing process commenced, followed by the mowing of the soil prior to sowing. This process was carried out for an extended period with a variety of ploughs and ploughshares, requiring the input of numerous pairs of mules, yokes of oxen, and a considerable labour force to direct the animals and manage the tools.
Aguada [Pause to drink water] (1943/1945) by Artur PastorFaculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Porto
The hora da agarra (start of the working day) began at sunrise and ended at sunset, interrupted only for a light luncheon and aguadas
(water).
Harrowing with oxen (1943/1945) by Artur PastorFaculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Porto
Prior to sowing, the soil was harrowed and smoothed. The grade (harrow) is a simple wooden implement, equipped with irons or spiked sticks, which are used to break up clods of earth. In the Alentejo, there was also the rojão, a toothless variant used solely for the
purpose of land smoothing.
Oxen were an indispensable component of the agricultural workforce, particularly in the cultivation of cereal crops. From the end of the nineteenth century onwards, there was a growing preference for the use of mules, but cattle remained a prominent feature of traditional farming practices.
Sowing plough (1943/1945) by Artur PastorFaculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Porto
Despite the advent of industrially manufactured ploughs, a considerable number of farms persisted in sowing with the wooden plough pulled by a yoke of oxen or a pair of mules.
The works of Pastor frequently encapsulate the efforts of both humans and animals. Through his compositions and a notable technical proficiency, he infuses the subjects of rural labour with a pronounced lyrical and aesthetic quality.
‘A song of affection and incitement to animals’ (M. Giacometti)
(In these lonely fields where misfortune has me
I cry out, no one answers
I look, I see no-one.
The Almocreve's life) IS A RISKY LIFE
[ARRIVES AHEAD]
DOWN A LANE
The singing served a practical purpose, setting the pace for the arduous task of ploughing.
Once harvested and shredded, the resulting & "bread" was stacked and transported to the threshing floors. The loading and stacking of the bundles onto the carts was a manual and onerous process that demanded a high level of care and dexterity. The work was regarded as hazardous and required the use of carts drawn by tame and dependable animals.
Transporting wheat to the threshing floor (1943/1945) by Artur PastorFaculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Porto
The acarreto (loading) and transportation of the grain in animal-drawn carts is a picturesque activity that results in images of great
visual and solemn effect.
Once the grain arrives at the threshing floor, the process of separating the grain from the straw begins. The introduction of mechanical threshing did not necessarily eliminate the use of animals. On farms where the utilisation of mechanical threshing machinery proved unprofitable, traditional methods of threshing such as ‘blood threshing’ (a sangue) and cart threshing persisted.
Wheat transport (1960/1969) by Artur PastorFaculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Porto
The wheat growing process culminates in the transportation of the straw and grain, which are subsequently cleaned and bagged prior to being conveyed to the granaries and mills.
Animal-drawn implement (1940/1979) by Artur PastorFaculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Porto
Tractor ploughing (1950/1959) by Artur PastorFaculty of Arts and Humanities of University of Porto
Artur Pastor's work also led to the documentation of an array of industrially manufactured implements that gradually supplanted their handcrafted counterparts.
Although the series of photographs evinces a pronounced poetic quality, they nevertheless possess substantial documentary value. By virtue of his expertise, Artur Pastor has documented practices that have been lost, revealing their essence through a perceptive and
discerning lens.
Coordination: Ana Cristina Sousa (DCTP-FLUP/CITCEM) and Daniel Cardeira (FLUP/CITCEM).
Curators: Daniel Cardeira and Diana Felícia (FLUP/CITCEM).
Texts: Daniel Cardeira.
Scientific review: Ana Cristina Sousa.
Photographs: Lisbon Municipal Archive - Artur Pastor Fund.
Audio: Daniel Cardeira; ProSoundEffects/ Pond5.
Translation: Raquel Viúla de Faria.
Acknowledgements: This exhibition is part of the PhD project in Heritage Studies, Specialisation in Art History, at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Porto, entitled ‘Animal-drawn vehicles south of the Tagus in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries: Study and heritage appreciation’, funded by the FCT (Ref. UI/BD/153611/2022) and under the supervision of Professors Ana Cristina Sousa, Paulo Simões Rodrigues (UE-DH/CHAIA) and Ana Carvalho (UE/CIDEHUS).
The translation of the texts was financed by National Funds through the FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project UIDB/04059/2020.
Special recognition to the Lisbon Municipal Archive for providing the photographs used in this exhibition.
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