São Paulo (1924) by Tarsila do AmaralPinacoteca de São Paulo
Artist Tarsila do Amaral was born in 1886 to a family of farmers living in the state of São Paulo, Brazil. This painting created in 1924 takes us back to the place where she lived and studied. Let's zoom in and find out more about her life...
In the second half of the 1910s, Tarsila took classes in São Paulo with the artists William Zadig, Pedro Alexandrino, and Georg Elpons. In 1920 she decided to leave Brazil and go study in France at the Académie Julien.
Even though she is considered one of the big names of Brazilian Modernism today, Tarsila did not participate in the 1922 Modern Art Week, which took place at the Municipal Theater of São Paulo. In fact, only a few months after the event did the painter come into contact with the artists and intellectuals involved in the initiative, such as Anita Malfatti and Menotti del Picchia.
In the composition of this painting we see identifiable places from São Paulo, such as Viaduto do Chá, the first viaduct built in the city...
...and Vale do Anhangabaú, a public park located in the center of the city.
The absence of human figures and the presence of elements such as buildings, the tram, gas pump, and electricity pole build an image of the the city Tarsila lived in: a metropolis on the rise.
Discover more artworks by Tarsila do Amaral.
