São Paulo’s Pinacoteca art gallery, to the north of the city centre in
the bairro know as Luz, holds a real treasure of an art collection. Housed in a
beautiful 19th century building, the gallery relishes its claim to be the
oldest museum in the modern metropolis with great pride. The permanent
collection mixes 19th century Brazilian and international art with contemporary
work, and the result is superb.
Currently showing is an extensive exhibition of the Italian-born
Brazilian artist Eliseu Visconti (born Salerno 1866, died Rio de Janeiro
1944)’s works from the 1880s through to the 1920s. A very famous artist in Brazil,
Visconti’s oeuvre spans a variety of styles, from impressionism, through to art
nouveau and abstraction, and also demonstrates influence from several cities,
including Rio de Janeiro and Paris. The retrospective view begins with examples
of Visconti’s early naturalist style paintings, showing portraits, such as the
delightful Menino (1910) and O Beijo (1910), and natural landscapes in oil-rich colours. Visconti was a
highly sought after artist of his day, and was widely exhibited, including in
the newly established Academia de Belas Artes in Rio de Janeiro (now known as
the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes).
Visconti’s French years bring beautifully crafted and highly
impressionistic works, such as Maternidade (1908, seen below) and several images of contemporary Parisian life in
public spaces such as the Jardim de Luxembourg. Returning to Brazil, Visconti
continued to impress, and this time with stunning scenes of the city of Rio and
Guanabara Bay. Both Ipanema and Copacabana beaches make frequent appearances,
and are beautiful to contemplate as empty stretches of unblemished beachfront.
Visconti’s talents even extended to drawing a frieze for a flyer for a show at
the Teatro Municipal, and propaganda images for the Palácio Tiradentes, both
famous Rio landmarks.
A particular favourite was Dante e Virgilio
ascendendo ao Paraíso (1908), a large oil
painting with clear depiction of the main protagonists, but also featuring very
abstracted figures at the base of the image, residents of purgatory struggling
to ascend to the heights of everlasting love in Paradise. With over 250 works
on display, viewers definitely will not be struggling to find something
appealing to any taste.
Eliseu Visconti: A Modernidade Antecipada is on at the Pinacoteca gallery until 26th February 2012. http://www.pinacoteca.org.br/pinacoteca/default.aspx?c=exposicoes&idexp=596&mn=100
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