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Tarsila AmaralBrazilian artist
Date of Birth: 01.09.1886
Country:  Brazil |
Content:
- Tarsila do Amaral: A Pioneer of Brazilian Modernism
- Paris Influence and Return to Brazil
- Embracing Brazilian Traditions
- Anthropophagy and International Recognition
- Social Activism and Later Career
Tarsila do Amaral: A Pioneer of Brazilian Modernism
Early Life and EducationTarsila do Amaral, a native of Brazil, emerged as a prominent figure in the Brazilian modernist movement. Born into an affluent family of landowners and coffee plantation owners, she spent her childhood on their sprawling estate. Her artistic journey began in Barcelona, where she accompanied her parents and first discovered her passion for painting.
Upon returning to Brazil, do Amaral pursued formal art education in São Paulo, initially studying sculpture before transitioning to painting and drawing. Dissatisfied with the conservative teachings of her professors, she set sail for Paris in 1920, enrolling at the renowned Académie Julian.
Paris Influence and Return to Brazil
Do Amaral's stay in Paris proved pivotal. She exhibited in a group show in 1922 and encountered key figures of the avant-garde. After her return to São Paulo that same year, she aligned herself with a group of Brazilian modernist writers and artists, including Anita Malfatti, Mário de Andrade, Oswald de Andrade, and Menotti del Picchia. Together, they formed the influential "Grupo dos Cinco," which championed the Brazilian modernist aesthetic.
Embracing Brazilian Traditions
In 1923, do Amaral briefly returned to Paris, where she studied with Albert Gleizes, André Lhote, and Fernand Léger. Inspired by her French teachers' fascination with archaic and primitive art, she began incorporating Brazilian folk traditions into her work. Traveling extensively with Oswald de Andrade, do Amaral delved into the country's cultural heritage and indigenous art forms. She also illustrated de Andrade's books.
Anthropophagy and International Recognition
By the mid-1920s, do Amaral and her husband, Oswald de Andrade, had developed a unique philosophy known as "anthropophagy." They envisioned Brazil as a cultural melting pot, consuming and reinterpreting influences from both ancient Afro-American cultures and modern European art. Do Amaral's first solo exhibition took place in Paris at the Galerie Percier in 1926. She established connections with surrealists during this period.
Social Activism and Later Career
Throughout the 1930s, do Amaral's art took a more overtly social and political turn. She traveled to the Soviet Union in 1931 and was briefly detained in Brazil after opposing the dictatorial regime of Getúlio Vargas. Settling in São Paulo, she participated in the inaugural São Paulo Biennials and the Venice Biennale in 1964.
Do Amaral's work has been widely collected and exhibited internationally. Her paintings and drawings are showcased in prestigious museums around the world, including the State Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg. She remains an influential figure in Brazilian art, celebrated for her pioneering spirit and the groundbreaking contributions she made to the modernist movement.
