obra-tarsila-do-amaral 

‘I feel myself ever more Brazilian. I want to be the painter of my homeland.’ – Tarsila do Amaral, 1923 🎨 Tarsila do Amaral (1886-1973) was a Brazilian modernist painter. Her signature landscapes combine rich colours and rounded shapes. Amaral is a key figure of non-Western modernism, though her influence and innovation is often overlooked in Eurocentric art historical narratives. 🖼️ The oil painting Setting Sun (1929) depicts a fantastical landscape. In the foreground, surreal creatures – reminiscent of floating stones – swim along a flat body of water. The background features rolling hills and trees, all painted in luscious shades of vibrant green. The trees are stylised into soft, circular shapes. 🌀🌞 This painting is an innovative fusion of avant-garde styles with the authentic Brazilian landscape. Amaral first encountered surrealism and cubism in 1920s Paris, and went on to apply these styles to distinctly Brazilian subjects. Here, she builds a visual representation of Brazilian identity through her focus on the untouched and natural landscape of the country. There is a complete absence of reference to humanity or industrialism in Setting Sun. Amaral’s use of rounded lines rather than straight angles can be seen as a rejection of industrial aesthetics. 🌆 👀Did you know? This painting was stolen from a private collection in 2020. Two years later, Brazilian authorities unexpectedly discovered the work stashed under a mattress during a house raid in Rio de Janeiro! 🔎 Editor: Lucy Jude Grantham #