Brilliant Brushstrokes: Remembering Tarsila do Amaral

Tarsila do Amaral was an influential Brazilian painter of the 20th century. She was born into a wealthy Paulista family that owned a farm in the São Paulo countryside, during a time when Brazil was still a pre-industrial, agrarian society and in the final years of African slavery. Her family’s status granted her privileges, including access to high-quality education in São Paulo and later in Spain. She grew up during the Second Reign (1840–1889) and the First Brazilian Republic (1889–1930), with an upbringing deeply rooted in French customs.

In 1901, at just 16 years old, Tarsila painted her first artwork, Sagrado Coração de Jesus. By the age of 20, she had married and given birth to her daughter, Dulce. However, the marriage lasted only about eight years, as her husband did not support her artistic ambitions. Thanks to her privileged background and family influence, she was able to annul the marriage—something rare for women at the time. Divorce only became legal in Brazil in 1977, and divorced women faced heavy stigma. Before that, marriage was truly until death do us part. There were, however, ways to work around the system. The desquite, introduced in 1942, allowed couples to legally separate and divide their assets, but they were not permitted to remarry.

Tarsila studied clay sculpture under the Swedish sculptor William Zagid (1884-1952), who was based in São Paulo. By 1918, she had fully dedicated herself to the visual arts, studying drawing and painting with the Brazilian artist Pedro Alexandrino (1856-1942). Around this time, she met Anita Malfatti (1889-1964), a pioneering modernist painter who would become a key figure in her artistic journey.

During the Roaring Twenties, Tarsila moved to Paris, immersing herself in the city’s thriving art scene. She studied at the Académie Julian and attended lectures with none other than Emile Renard (1850-1930). In the City of Light, she lived among the avant-garde artists shaping the early 20th century, absorbing the influences that would later define her unique approach to Brazilian modernism.

Paris was the epicenter of the Roaring Twenties, a period of artistic and cultural innovation that attracted creatives from around the world. Long celebrated as a beacon of creativity, the city’s relatively low cost of living and its open, experimental atmosphere made it an ideal hub for artistic expression. During this time, Paris cemented its status as the capital of art, music, literature, and cinema, bringing together some of the most revolutionary minds of the era.

In 1922, Tarsila returned to Brazil but did not take part in Modern Art Week, an event that, despite being influenced by European artistic movements, sought to redefine and celebrate Brazilianness as a source of cultural inspiration. However, Anita Malfatti introduced her to the “Group of Five,” a collective of influential figures in Brazilian Modernism. This group included Malfatti herself, along with writer Mário de Andrade (1893-1945), poet Menotti del Picchia (1892-1988), and writer Oswald de Andrade (1890-1954). Their work would play a crucial role in shaping modern Brazilian art and literature.

From 1924 to 1928, Tarsila entered her “Pau-Brasil” phase, named after the highly valued Brazilian wood that gave the country its name in the 16th century. During this period, her paintings embraced the vibrant colors of the countryside, blending elements of rural and urban Brazil. She explored the contrasts between traditional landscapes and modern urban themes, incorporating the geometric techniques of Cubism—an avant-garde movement that sought to uncover the essence of a subject beyond surface-level representation. This fusion of Brazilian identity with modern artistic styles became a defining characteristic of her work.

From 1928 to 1930, Tarsila entered her "Antropofágica" phase, characterized by bold colors and imaginative themes. Her paintings drew inspiration from dreams, childhood memories, and real objects transformed into fantastical creatures and abstract forms. This period was deeply rooted in the idea of cultural cannibalism— coined by Oswald de Andrade in the 'Manifesto Antropófago' (1928), reclaims the idea of 'eating' foreign influences—not to imitate them, but to digest and transform them into something uniquely Brazilian.

Tarsila made an exposition in Moscow in 1931. After that trip, she participated in Brazilian Communist Party meetings. However, the red scare and anti-communism ideology made her arrested. This is the reason why she did not want to become involved in politics. However, this started her “Social” phase where she became politically engaged with the causes of the proletariat in Brazil and the world. Then, many of her paintings became socially oriented about the population, labour and children.

One of Tarsila's most renowned paintings is Abaporu, created in 1928 as a birthday gift for her then-husband, poet Oswald de Andrade (1890-1954). The title comes from the Tupi-Guarani language, meaning “man that eats people” (cannibal or anthropophagic). Inspired by this, Andrade developed the concept of cultural cannibalism—the idea that a colonized culture could absorb and transform elements of the dominant culture, creating something entirely new and unique. This metaphorical "devouring" of foreign influences to produce an authentic Brazilian identity became central to the Antropofagia (Anthropophagy) movement. Tarsila once said that Abaporu emerged from her unconscious, influenced by the stories she had heard from Black women during her childhood. The painting’s exaggerated proportions—a small head, elongated limbs, and an oversized foot—symbolize a connection to the land and reflect the movement’s goal of redefining Brazilian art through its indigenous and African roots.

Tarsila draws from multiple sources to create her art, which reflects the richness of Brazil—a cultural wealth that, unfortunately, remains largely unknown and undervalued due to the omission or neglect of our artistic heritage. Far from being “bafflingly weak,” Brazilian art is a powerful means of communication, an antidote for both the artist and the viewer. It is the fruit of a continental diverse nation, shaped by countless influences, blending diverse peoples, landscapes, and traditions into a unique and vibrant artistic identity.

The Wall Street Crash of 1929 had a significant impact on Tarsila’s prestigious family. Her father suffered major financial losses, and his farm was mortgaged. Around this time, she separated from Oswald de Andrade and later married twice more—first to psychiatrist Osório César (1895-1979) and then to writer Luís Martins (1907-1981). Following her second separation, she held her first solo exhibition. She also worked as a columnist for Diários Associados until the 1950s. Her influence in the art world remained strong, as she participated in the first São Paulo Art Biennial in 1951 and later in the 1964 Venice Biennale.

Tarsila passed away on January 17, 1973. Her art made history, yet she is still not honoured enough. She was given a special room at the 1963 São Paulo Art Biennial, where curator and art historian Aracy Amaral organized the exhibition Tarsila: 50 Years of Painting. More recently, her work was featured in an exhibition at the Museum of Art of São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand in 2019, and she was honoured at the 2022 Brazil Vogue Ball. Her paintings continue to be auctioned and are housed in museums across France, Russia, and Argentina.

Tarsila do Amaral was a woman ahead of her time. She embraced the “bumpkin” prejudices of her era, as many intellectuals looked down on the vibrant colours and themes drawn from her countryside origins. Yet, these very elements became her trademarks—rural and urban Brazilian landscapes, fauna, flora, folklore, and people. Her work helped future Brazilian artists appreciate and take pride in their roots and aesthetics. It is also important to recognize her achievements and privileges as an influential woman in a pre-feminist era; the Brazilian Suffragettes movement only emerged in 1932. Above all, she paved the way for future generations of women painters, particularly in Brazil and Latin America. She was a separated woman who defied conventions and left an undeniable mark on the country’s cultural and artistic history.

In January 2024, the life of the Brazilian painter Tarsila do Amaral was brought to the stage in the musical "Tarsila, a Brasileira," which premiered on January 25th at Teatro Santander in São Paulo. Renowned Brazilian actress Cláudia Raia both produced and starred in the production, portraying Tarsila do Amaral. The musical delves into Tarsila's personal and professional journey, highlighting her significant contributions to modern art.

In January 2025, London's Royal Academy of Arts unveiled the exhibition "Brasil! Brasil! The Birth of Modernism," running from January 28th to April 21st. This major exhibition features over 130 works by ten prominent Brazilian artists from the twentieth century, including Tarsila do Amaral. Additionally, the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is currently hosting a comprehensive exhibition dedicated to Tarsila do Amaral, which opened on February 21st and will run until June 1st, 2025.

It's worth pointing out that museums and theatres have long been inaccessible to Black and low-income people. There is a clear elitism in the arts, deeply tied to socio-economic inequality, reflected not only in exorbitant entry fees but also in the rigid rules imposed by institutions that dictate what is considered "legitimate" art. Artistic spaces—such as museums, galleries, and cinemas—are mostly concentrated in areas of the city that poorer populations do not frequent.

Elitism in the arts reinforces systemic racism, as poverty in Brazil has a racial dimension. Brazil was the last country in Latin America to abolish slavery, in 1888. After abolition, many formerly enslaved individuals migrated in search of better opportunities or to reunite with family but often faced repression, labeled as idle or vagrant. There was no real integration, and this legacy is still felt today in the prejudice against art created by non-white people and the persistent notion that ordinary people do not understand or appreciate art.

On a global scale, artistic expressions that fall outside the Eurocentric framework continue to be marginalised, struggling for recognition in global art markets. European art traditions still dominate, while non-European artistic expressions are often relegated to the status of secondary, folk-based, or even inferior.

Even when non-European art is included in museums and galleries, it is frequently framed through a colonialist lens—treated as ethnographic artifacts rather than works of artistic and cultural innovation. This reinforces the idea that Western art is the standard, while other artistic traditions exist only as curiosities or remnants of the past, rather than as evolving, dynamic contributions to the global art scene.

Art and culture are under threat, with many spaces and historical sites being demolished in the name of economic development—$TEM above all else.

Even in an era of digital democratization, where the internet gave us a false sense of it. Though, it allows artists to showcase their work, reach massive audiences, and gain recognition in ways never before possible, deep inequalities persist. A significant portion of the world remains offline. In 2024, an estimated 2.6 billion people—32% of the global population—lacked internet access, and in 2023, 750 million people still lived without electricity.

Despite these barriers, art remains an antidote of colours, a hidden gem found everywhere, in everything, and within everyone. Calling Brazilian art “bafflingly weak” dismisses a movement shaped by centuries of cultural fusion, resilience, and boundless creativity. The richness of Brazil’s artistic expression is undeniable—rooted in indigenous traditions, African heritage, and European influences, all reimagined through uniquely Brazilian perspectives. Perhaps the real failure is not in the art itself but in the lens through which it is being judged.

This piece is also available on Outside Left: https://outsideleft.com/main.php?updateID=3436