Brazil is an entire ocean’s length away from Europe—the continent usually associated with modernism. Yet, an exhibition in London’s Royal Academy of Arts tells a different story about how—and where—this 20th-century artistic movement first developed, placing South America's largest country at the centre of events.
The exhibition titled Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism chronicles the history of modernism in Brazil from 1910 to 1980, featuring over 130 paintings by ten artists. It begins with the works of Brazilian artist Anita Malfatti (1889-1964) and draws from Paul Cézanne's revolutionary approach to painting in landscape, human form, or still life. Her time in Berlin from 1910 brought her into contact with figures like Pablo Picasso, Paul Klee, Oscar Kokoschka, and Henri Rousseau—artists whose works predated artistic modernism and are generally credited with inspiring the movement.
But Malfatti also drew inspiration from her own life and times. Her art reveals much about Brazil's vibrant cultural scene at the time, which actively explored notions of national identity, as well as the artistic traditions of other cultures around the world.
Continuing into the exhibition, the works of Lasar Segal (1889–1957) are also prominently displayed. One of his most striking paintings, from 1937, depicts a pile of corpses—a prophetic scene of what was to come in Brazil’s turbulent political history.
Candido Portinari (1903–1962), a poster child of Brazilian art, is also shown. Some of his paintings appear to be a nod to Picasso’s Blue Period works, but others clearly belong to the unique family tradition. Although he died at the relatively young age of 58, he left behind a mammoth collection of over 5,000 paintings.
The exhibition includes depictions of nature, with a painting by Tarsila do Amaral (1886–1973) featured in the promotional poster, alongside portraits and works showing groups of people.
Abstract art, which was a prominent art form in the early stages of modernism, is also featured in the gallery through the predominantly geometric works of Rubem Valentim (1922–1991) and Alfredo Volpe (1896–1988), who was of African descent. Cézanne’s influence is clear in Volpe’s work.
Brazilian artists’ ability to "devour" foreign influences to produce something entirely new and distinctly Brazilian prompted writer and poet Oswald de Andrade to coin the term "cultural cannibalism”.
Brazil’s national diversity is due to massive waves of migration from Africa, Europe, and even as far away as Japan, which naturally influenced the country’s art. For example, an African-influenced painting by Djanira da Motta e Silva (1914–1979) shows human figures, clothing, crowns, and musical instruments. Meanwhile, other displayed works show the formal and technical influences of European modernism.
The last time The Royal Academy of Arts exhibited Brazilian works was in 1944, making one wonder why Brazilian art—which was so crucial to the modernism movement—was absent from the art gallery for over half a century.
‘Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism' is running at the Royal Academy of Arts in London until 21 April.
