Industry and the countryside uniting “The State of Rio Grande do Sul”
Take a tour of the work and find in detail the representation of Gaucho society commissioned by the government from the painter Aldo Locatelli in the 1950s.
Estado Riograndense (1954) by Aldo LocatelliPiratini Palace
A mural painting, arranged vertically, depicting the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
The mural was commissioned by Aldo Locatelli during the Ernesto Dornelles administration. Compared to the others, the mural has more contemporary than historical elements under the Dornelles government.
At the bottom is a representation of a family, with a female figure sitting with a child on her lap, holding a piece of fruit.
Behind the woman, two male figures face each other, their hands intertwined in a grip, the one on the left wearing gaucho clothing and holding a bow tie in his left hand, while the one on the right is wearing work overalls.
It is worth noting how the elements of the countryside and industry are represented in the handshake between a rural worker and an urban worker. These signs represent the hegemonic thinking of a government project that wanted to modernize.
With her left hand, the mother surrounds a boy and in front of her a girl holding a dove with both hands, while birds are on the ground.
In the background, the flag and coat of arms of the state, involving male and female human figures.
Above, horsemen with lances, in combat position, representing war. A very sensitive subject for the artist.
On the right, a fallen woman holding a child.
Piratini Palace - Center for Conservation and Memory of the Piratini Palace Texts: William Caetano
Photography: Fernando Bueno - Piratini Palace Collection
Editing: Mateus Gomes; Willian Caetano
Technical reference: OLIVEIRA, Luciana da Costa. O Rio Grande do Sul de Aldo Locatelli : arte, historiografia e memória regional nos murais do Palácio Piratini. 2011. 270 f. Dissertação (Mestrado em História) - Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, 2011.
Directed by: Mateus Gomes
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