Tile Panel from Brasília Cathedral Baptistery Tile Panel from Brasília Cathedral BaptisteryFundação Athos Bulcão
A Modernist Metropolis
'Modernism' was a twentieth-century art and design movement which explored human experience in an age of rapid industrial and technological progress. Brasília is a city designed to modernist principles, and its artistic identity reflects this.
From the tiles adorning its architecture to the paintings held in its numerous museums, Brazil's capital city is rich with modernist Brazilian art. Scroll on to discover 5 important Brazilian artists whose work you can find in this modernist metropolis.
Workers (1938) by Tarsila do AmaralMuseu de Valores do Banco Central do Brasil
1. Tarsila do Amaral
One of the most famous painters of Latin American modernism, Tarsila do Amaral, or just Tarsila, developed a vocabulary of Brazilian art that is instantly recognizable even today.
Port I (1953) by Tarsila do AmaralMuseu de Valores do Banco Central do Brasil
The use of geometrical forms and serene colors to construct both landscapes and portraits of Brazil and its people are unmistakably characteristic of Tarsila!
Tile Panel at the Green Hall at the National Congress Tile Panel at the Green Hall at the National Congress (1971) by Athos BulcãoFundação Athos Bulcão
2. Athos Bulcão
Athos was a multimedia Brazilian artist originally from Rio de Janeiro, but his life work has marked the visual identity of the city of Brasília.
Tile Panel from University of Brasilia Arts Institute Tile Panel from University of Brasilia Arts Institute by Athos BulcãoFundação Athos Bulcão
His most recognizable artworks are the ceramic panels he created that bring color to the architect Oscar Niemeyer’s futuristic buildings around the capital.
Candangos (1960) by Di CavalcantiChamber of Deputies, Brazil
3. Di Cavalcanti
With his works often described as typically Brazilian, Di Cavalcanti is one of the most celebrated modernist painters.
In this work, he celebrates the men who built Brasília from the ground, the 'Candangos'
Sem título (1955) by Anita MalfattiMuseu Nacional da República
4. Anita Malfatti
Another leading name in Brazilian modernist painting, Anita Malfatti captured the essence of popular life in works that embrace spontaneity.
Now considered a pioneering modernist responsible for bringing European aesthetic breakthroughs over to Brazil, she was controversial in her own time. Her 1917 show in Sao Paulo caused a stir at a time when Brazilian art was searching for a national identity.
Frevo (1956) by Candido PortinariMuseu de Valores do Banco Central do Brasil
5. Cândido Portinari
This celebrated painter, whose lifework comprises over 5,000 artworks, explored many scenes of the Brazilian way of life, from daily work to pastimes.
In this painting, we can see people enjoying 'Frevo', a traditional dance style from the state of Pernambuco.
Portinari (1939)Projeto Portinari
Did you know?
Cândido Portinari literally suffered for his art. The heavy metals present in his paints caused him heavy metal poisoning, eventually leading to his death. Discover more about the artist here.
