Industry and countryside uniting the Rio-grandense state

Take a tour to the work and find in the details the representation of the gaucho society commissioned by the government to the painter Aldo Locatelli, in the 50s

State Rio-grandense (1954) by Aldo LocatelliPiratini Palace

Mural painting, arranged vertically, representing the State of Rio Grande do Sul.

The mural was commissioned from Aldo Locatelli under Ernesto Dorneles. The mural, in relation to the others, presents more contemporary than historical elements under the auspices of the Dornelles government.

At the bottom, the representation of a family, with a female figure seated with a child on her lap, holding a fruit.

Behind the woman, two male figures face each other, with their hands clasped, in a grip, the one on the left is wearing gaucho clothes and holding a bow with his left hand, while the one on the right is wearing a work overalls.

It is notorious how the elements of the countryside and industry are represented through the handshake between a rural worker and an urban worker. Such signs represent the hegemonic thought of a government project that wanted to modernize itself.

With her left hand, the mother circles a boy and in front a girl holding a dove with both hands, while birds are on the ground.

In the background the state flag and coat of arms, involving female and male human figures.

Above, knights with spears, in combat stance, representing war. Theme very sensitive to the artist.

On the right, a fallen woman, hugging a child. The higher images acquire more dreamlike characteristics. They are like reminiscences; reinforcing the idea that the state leaves behind memories like the war to modernize with the times.

Credits: Story

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

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.

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