Brasil First~ Candido Portinari

On the 1st of every month, we honor a Brazilian artist.

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Candido Portinari (1903–1962) was one of the greatest Brazilian painters and one of the most internationally recognized Latin American artists. He was born in Brodowski, São Paulo, and from an early age showed talent for drawing. He studied at the National School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro and later in Paris, where he came into contact with the artistic avant-garde, but always kept his identity rooted in Brazil.

Artistic Characteristics

Social themes: Portinari portrayed the life of the Brazilian people, especially rural workers, migrants, children, laborers, and scenes from the countryside. His perspective was both poetic and critical, often denouncing social inequalities.

Style: His painting combined realism with modernist influences and monumental murals. He used strong colors, monumental figures, and compositions filled with emotional intensity.

Diverse mediums: He created murals, frescoes, easel paintings, and illustrations.

Notable Works

"Retirantes" (1944): a series depicting the misery of drought in Northeastern Brazil.

"Dead Child" (1944): an emblematic work representing social suffering.

"War" and "Peace" panels (1952–1956): commissioned by the UN, installed in New York, representing a global call for peace.

Public murals: such as those in the Ministry of Education and Culture (Rio de Janeiro) and in the Church of São Francisco de Assis (Belo Horizonte).

Legacy

Portinari produced more than 5,000 works and became a symbol of Brazilian cultural identity. His art reflects both the suffering and the hope of the people, merging popular tradition with modernism. He died in 1962, poisoned by the lead in his paints, a testament to the intensity of his dedication to art.