The beginning of colonization with "The arrival of Silva Paes"
Discover the details of Aldo Locatelli's 1950s painting depicting the founding of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.
Chegada de Silva Paes (1953) by Aldo LocatelliPiratini Palace
The Lusitanian feats!
Serving as the founding milestone of Rio Grande, the arrival of Silva Paes represents the historiographical vision of the period it portrays. The supremacy of the Lusitanian matrix to the detriment of the Platine.
In a pioneering pose, with one leg in front of the other, Silva Paes was portrayed as the founder of the Portuguese territory outside Europe. The one who came to expand the domains of the Portuguese crown.
And the color wizard put away his palette
The soldiers around him were portrayed in an effusive reception. In this work in particular, the artist, known for his excellent use of color, chose to work with the chiaroscuro technique to create the sense of mobility that the mural conveys.
Were they Lusitanian gods?
On the left, below, the figure of the indigenous man. Sitting watching the scene. Almost “placed” in the painting. He doesn't participate. He is larger than the others and his shadow projects out of the mural.
The figure of the indigenous man separated from the other characters in the mural reflects the way in which the Platine culture, which perceived the indigenous influence in the formation of Rio Grande, was seen by the Lusitanian matrix.
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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