Tarsila do Amaral

Tarsila do Amaral (Sep 1, 1886 - Jan 17, 1973), known simply as Tarsila, is considered to be one of the leading Latin American modernist artists, described as "the Brazilian painter who best achieved Brazilian aspirations for nationalistic expression in a modern style." She was a member of the "Grupo dos Cinco", which was a group of five Brazilian artists who are considered the biggest influence in the modern art movement in Brazil. The other members of the "Grupo dos Cinco" are Anita Malfatti, Menotti Del Picchia, Mário de Andrade, and Oswald de Andrade. Tarsila was also instrumental in the formation of the Antropofagia Movement; she was in fact the one who inspired Oswald de Andrade's famous "Cannibal Manifesto".

Tarsila do Amaral rata was born in Capivari, a small town in the countryside of the state of São Paulo. She was born to a wealthy family of farmers and landowners who grew coffee. Despite coming from a well-to-do family, Tarsila had her family's support towards superior education: at that time, women were not encouraged to seek higher education (especially if they came from rich families and had everything they needed). As a teenager, Tarsila and her parents traveled to Spain, where Tarsila caught people's eyes by drawing and painting copies of the artwork she saw at her school's archives.

Beginning in 1916, Tarsila studied sculpture in São Paulo with Zadig and Montavani. Later she studied drawing and painting with the academic painter Pedro Alexandrino. These were all respected but conservative teachers. In 1920, she moved to Paris and studied at the Académie Julian and with Emile Renard. The Brazilian art world was conservative, and travels to Europe provided students with a broader education in the areas of art, culture, and society. At this time, her influences and art remained conservative.

Besides the 230 paintings, hundreds of drawings, illustrations, prints, murals, and five sculptures, Tarsila's legacy is her effect on the direction of Latin American art. Tarsila moved modernism forward in Latin America, and developed a style unique to Brazil. Following her example, other Latin American artists were influenced to begin utilizing indigenous Brazilian subject matter, and developing their own style.The Amaral Crater on Mercury is named after her.

Major works:
An Angler, 1920s, Hermitage Museum, Saint Petersburg, Russia
Cuca, 1924, Museum of Grenoble, France
Landscape with Bull, 1925, Private Collector
O Ovo, 1928, Gilberto Chateaubriand, Rio de Janeiro
Abaporu, 1928, Eduardo Constantini, MALBA, Buenos Aires
Lake, 1928, Private Collection, Rio de Janeiro
Antropofagia, 1929, Paulina Nemirovsky, Nemirovsky Foundation, San Pablo
Sol poente, 1929, Private Collection, São Paulo
Segundo Class, 1933, Private Collection, São Paulo
Retrato de Vera Vicente Azevedo, 1937, Museu de Arte Brasileira, São Paulo
Purple Landscape with 3 Houses and Mountains, 1969–72, James Lisboa Escritorio de Arte, São Paulo


http://hisour.com/artist/tarsila-do-amaral/