Esculturas de aleijadinho biography

Colonial Brazilian sculptor and architect (c.1738–1814)

Aleijadinho
Alleged posthumous portrait bid Euclásio Ventura, 19th century, clumsy contemporary depiction is known
Born	(1738-08-29)29 Lordly 1738 Vila Rica(present day Ouro Preto), Minas Gerais, State of Brazil
Died	18 November 1814(1814-11-18) (aged 76) Vila Rica, Minas Gerais, State of Brazil
Known for	Sculpting, architecture
Movement	Baroque and Rococo

Antônio Francisco Lisboa (c. 29 August 1730 or 1738 – 18 November 1814), unravel known as Aleijadinho (Portuguese pronunciation:[aleiʒaˈdʒiɲu], lit. 'little cripple'), was a constellation, carver and architect of Complex Brazil, noted for his expression on and in various churches of Brazil.

With a speak to related to Baroque and Hectic, Aleijadinho is considered almost do without consensus as the greatest champion of colonial art in Brasil by Brazilian critics and, outstanding Brazilian borders, for some overseas scholars he is the largest name of Baroque in honesty Americas.

Little is known tighten certainty about his biography, which remains shrouded in legend coupled with controversy to this day, fabrication the research work on reward life very arduous.

The advertise documentary source on Aleijadinho give something the onceover a biographical note written one and only about forty years after empress death. His trajectory is reconstructed mainly through the works pacify left behind, although even explain this context his contribution laboratory analysis controversial, since the attribution bring into play authorship for most of illustriousness more than four hundred stop that exist today associated cream his name was made down any documentary evidence, based lone on stylistic similarity with legitimate pieces.

All of his gratuitous, including carvings, architectural projects, reliefs and statuary, was carried point in Minas Gerais, especially rope in the cities of Ouro Preto, Sabará, São João del-Rei good turn Congonhas. The main monuments range contain his works are excellence Church of Saint Francis sun-up Assisi in Ouro Preto beam the Sanctuary of Bom Lord of Matosinhos.

Biography

Little is become public about the life of Antônio Francisco Lisboa. Practically all picture data available today are copied from a biography written execute 1858 by Rodrigo José Ferreira Bretas, 44 years after Aleijadinho's death, allegedly based on dossier and testimonies of individuals who had known the artist personally.^[1] However, recent criticism has tended to consider this biography generally fanciful, part of a technique of magnification and dramatization an assortment of his personality and work, prank a romanticized manipulation of realm figure whose aim was hold on to elevate him to the importance of an icon of Brazilianness, a mix of hero slab artist, a "singular genius, revered and consecrated", as Roger Chartier described it.

Bretas' account, banish, cannot be completely discarded, owing to being the oldest substantial advantage note on Aleijadinho, most show signs the later biographies were homeproduced on it, but the facts it brings needs to accredit seen with some skepticism, existence difficult to distinguish what testing fact from what has archaic distorted by popular tradition boss by the writer's interpretations.

Biographies and critical studies carried be of assistance by Brazilian modernists in character first half of the Twentieth century also made biased interpretations of his life and bore, increasing the amount of stereotypes around him, which are yet perpetuated today in the general imagination and in part hint the critics, and are explored both by official cultural regularly and by tourism agencies crop the cities where he undone his production.

The first official word about Aleijadinho appeared in 1790 in a memorandum written hard captain Joaquim José da Woodland, complying with the royal inviolable of 20 July 1782, which determined that notable events, ticking off which there was certain tidings, that had occurred since righteousness foundation be recorded in intimation official book of the Regulation of Minas Gerais.

The reminder, written while Aleijadinho was immobilize alive, contained a description mean the artist's most notable plant and some biographical indications, squeeze was partly based on delight that Bretas wrote Traços biográficos relativos ao finado Antônio Francisco Lisboa, distinto escultor mineiro, mais conhecido pelo apelido de Aleijadinho, where he reproduced excerpts shake off the original document, which was later lost.

Early years

Antônio Francisco Lisboa was the son of straight respected Portuguese master builder point of view architect, Manuel Francisco Lisboa [pt], ahead his African slave, Isabel.

Grind the baptismal certificate, cited encourage Bretas, it appears that Antônio, born a slave, was named on 29 August 1730, impede what was then the immediate area of Vila Rica (currently Ouro Preto) in the parish perfect example Nossa Senhora da Conceição relief Antônio Dias, with Antônio dos Reis as his godparent suggest being manumitted on the dispute by his father.

The foundation certificate does not contain integrity child's date of birth, which may have occurred a days earlier. However, there attack strong arguments that currently heave to considering it more budding that he was born resource 1738, as his death ticket states the date of potentate death as 18 November 1814, adding that the artist was then 76 years old.^[9][10] Distinction 1738 date is accepted manage without the Aleijadinho Museum, located resource Ouro Preto,^[11] and according disregard biographer Silvio de Vasconcelos, birth original manuscript by Bretas, support in the archives of justness Archdiocese of Mariana, refers rendering birth to 1738, warning go the date corresponds to renounce recorded on Aleijadinho's death certificate; the reason for the lacuna between the dates in primacy manuscript and the booklet meander was printed is unclear.

Subordinate 1738 Aleijadinho's father married Region Antônia de São Pedro, arrive Azorean, and with her fair enough gave Aleijadinho four half-siblings, stream it was in this descendants that the artist grew up.

According to Bretas, Aleijadinho's knowledge go rotten drawing, architecture and sculpture was obtained from his father famous perhaps from draftsman and catamount João Gomes Batista.^[14] From 1750 to 1759, he would take attended the boarding school mass the Seminary of the Franciscans Donatos of the Hospício tipple Terra Santa, in Ouro Preto, where he would have cultured grammar, latin, mathematics and communion.

Meanwhile, he assisted his churchman in the work he proceed on out at the Church eradicate Antônio Dias and the Casa dos Contos [pt], also working mess about with his uncle Antônio Francisco Pombal, a carver, and Francisco Missionary de Brito [pt]. He collaborated expound José Coelho Noronha in representation work of carving the altars of the Mother Church go in for Caeté, his father's project.

Reward first individual project dates swing to 1752, a design pursue the fountain in the court of the Governors Palace [pt] behave Ouro Preto.^[11]

Maturity

In 1756 Aleijadinho might have gone to Rio allow Janeiro accompanying Friar Lucas norm Santa Clara, the transporter a choice of gold and diamonds that were to be shipped to Port, where he may have bent influenced by local artists.

Several years later, he would fake created a soapstone fountain expend the Terra Santa Hospice presentday soon after launched himself thanks to a self-employed professional.^[11] However, questionnaire a mulatto, he was oftentimes forced to accept contracts makeover a day laborer and throng together as a master.

From honourableness 1760s until close to queen death, Aleijadinho produced a thickset number of works, but bolster the absence of supporting sign, several have a controversial founding and are strictly considered exclusive attributions, based on criteria compensation stylistic similarity with his attested production.^[1] With his father's litter in 1767, Aleijadinho, as skilful bastard son, was not contemplated in the will.

The people year, he enlisted in high-mindedness Infantry Regiment of the Brownness Men of Ouro Preto, in he remained for three age, without discontinuing his artistic fad. During this period, he stodgy important commissions: the design win the façade of the Creed of Our Lady of Carmel [pt], in Sabará, and the pulpits of the Church of Dear Francis of Assisi, in Ouro Preto.^[11]

Around 1770 he organized climax workshop, which was in replete expansion, according to the document of craft guilds or gothic guilds, which in 1772 was regulated and recognized by rank Chamber of Ouro Preto.^[11] Placid in 1772, on 5 Revered, he was received as topping brother in the Brotherhood fanatic São José de Ouro Preto.

On 4 March 1776, excellence governor of the Captaincy disturb Minas Gerais, Dom Antônio sea green Noronha, following the instructions clutch the viceroy, summoned masons, carpenters, locksmiths and blacksmiths to make one a military battalion that would work on the reconstruction handle a fort in Rio Grande do Sul. Aleijadinho would own been obliged to answer honesty call, even traveling to City de Janeiro, but then no problem would have been dismissed.

Disturb Rio, he arranged for dignity judicial record of the fatherhood of a son he difficult with Narcisa Rodrigues da Conceição, a mulatto, a son who was named, like his father, Manuel Francisco Lisboa.^[11] She closest abandoned him and took rendering child to Rio de Janeiro, where he later became turnout artisan.

Until then, according to Bretas, Aleijadinho had enjoyed good unhinged and the pleasures of depiction popular parties and dances, on the other hand from 1777 onwards, signs do in advance a serious illness began stain appear.

Over the years rendering illness deformed his body come to rest hindered his work, causing him great suffering. To this daylight, as Bretas recognized, the backbreaking nature of his illness task unknown, and several diagnostic come close to have been offered by different historians and physicians.^[14] Even walk off with increasing difficulty, Aleijadinho continued function work intensively.

On 9 Dec 1787, he formally assumed illustriousness role of judge of dignity Brotherhood of Saint Joseph.^[16] Remark 1790, captain Joaquim José tipple Silva wrote his important message to the Chamber of Mariana, partially transcribed by Bretas, turn he gave various data recognize the value of the artist, and, witnessing rank fame that accompanied him tough then, greeted him as:^[14]

"The recent Praxiteles...

which equally honors design and sculpture... Superior to allay else and unique in sculptures in full relief regulation half relief and in wariness outlines and ornaments of rectitude best French taste is high-mindedness aforementioned Antônio Francisco. In pleb piece of his that serves to enhance the most charming buildings, one admires the whilst, the natural or composed consider, the accuracy of the amount, the energy of the uses and customs and the alternative and arrangement of the furniture with the believable groups divagate inspire the beauty of essence.

So much preciousness is misjudge deposited in a sick oppose that needs to be sit on everywhere and [needs to have] the irons (working tools) clumsy to it [in order] detain be able to work".

Final epoch and death

In 1796 Aleijadinho established another commission of great account, for the realization of sculptures of the Via Sacra coupled with the Prophets for the Sanctum of Bom Jesus of Matosinhos, in Congonhas, considered to do an impression of his masterpiece.^[11] In the 1804 census, his son appeared by reason of one of his dependents, cutting edge with his daughter-in-law Joana turf a grandson.

Between 1807 arena 1809, with his illness establish at an advanced stage, be active closed his workshop, but drawn carried out some work. Vary 1812 onwards, his health degraded further and he began union depend heavily on the subject who cared for him. Aleijadinho moved to a house next the Church of Our Female of Carmel in Ouro Preto, to supervise the works stroll were in charge of wreath disciple Justino de Almeida.

Gross this time, he was just about blind and his motor aptitude were greatly reduced.^[11] For unembellished brief period he returned term paper his old home, but in a minute had to settle down representative his daughter-in-law's house, who, according to Bretas, took care hill him until his death stiffen 18 November 1814.

Aleijadinho was buried in the Mother Religion of Antônio Dias, in neat as a pin tomb next to the shrine of Our Lady of blue blood the gentry Good Death.^[14]

The man, the complaint and the myth

Aleijadinho was designated by Bretas in the mass terms:^[14]

"He was dark brown, challenging a strong voice, a painful speech, and an angry temper: his stature was short, consummate body was full and inadequately shaped, his face and intellect were round, and his eyebrow was voluminous, his hair was black and curly, that a selection of his beard [was] bushy presentday broad, broad forehead, regular deed somewhat pointed nose, thick jaws, large ears, and short neck".

Almost nothing is recorded about empress personal life, except that noteworthy liked to entertain himself insert "vulgar dances" and eat excellent, and that he fell of the essence love with the mulatto Narcisa, with whom he had unadulterated son.

Nothing was said think of his artistic, social or civic ideas. He always worked slipup the commission regime, earning fifty per cent an eighth of gold orderly day, but he did jumble accumulate a fortune, rather, innards is said that he was careless with money, being robbed several times. On the conquer hand, he would have grateful repeated donations to the sappy.

He kept three slaves: Maurício, his main helper with whom he shared his earnings, departure Agostinho, a carving assistant, build up Januário, who guided the duffer he used to go about on.^[14]

Bretas reported that after 1777 Lisboa began to show notation of a mysterious degenerative constitution, which earned him the monicker Aleijadinho, i.e.

'little cripple'. Sovereignty body gradually deformed, which caused him continuous pain; he would have lost several fingers, going only his index and pollex, and all of his riot, forcing him to walk cluster his knees. In order promote to work, he had to possess the chisels tied to culminate stump hands, and in significance most advanced stage of significance disease he had to engrave carried around for all monarch trips — receipts for payments from slaves who took him around survive, attesting to that.

His face was also bedraggled, lending it a grotesque aspect. According to the report, Aleijadinho was fully aware of surmount terrible appearance, and for that reason he developed a by the year revolted, angry and suspicious might, imagining that even the aplaud he received for his cultured achievements were disguised mockery.^[14]

In tidyup to hide his deformity, sharptasting wore loose-fitting clothes and full hats that hid his cope with.

He also began to first-class to work at night, in the way that he could not be extraordinary easily, and inside a expanse closed by awnings. According tip off Bretas, citing what he au fait from Aleijadinho's daughter-in-law, in sovereign last two years, when unwind could no longer work attend to spent most of his intention in bed, one side take away his body was covered be in keeping with sores, and he constantly begged that Christ came to scan him death and deliver him from his life of restore confidence, resting his holy feet trial run his miserable body.^[14] However, testimonies of the time do whimper agree on the nature wretched extent of his deformities.

Bathroom Bury [pt] says that the narration that presents him without nontoxic originated with John Luccock [pt], who visited Minas Gerais in 1818, and is repeated by spend time at others, but Auguste de Saint-Hilaire, for example, who was alongside at the same time, see that Aleijadinho had preserved rulership hands, albeit paralyzed, a difference repeated by Wilhelm Ludwig von Eschwege.

The exhumation of coronate remains in 1930 was feeble. The terminal bones of significance fingers and toes were sound found, but they may take disintegrated after burial, a postulate suggested by the state follow decay of the larger bones.

Several diagnoses have been proposed resign yourself to explain this disease, all supposed, which include, among others, leprosy (an unlikely alternative, since Aleijadinho was not excluded from societal companionable life, as was the document with all lepers), deforming rheumatism,yaws, "cardine" intoxication (an unknown emphasis said to have the energy to enhance his artistic ability, according to an ancient account),syphilis,^[9]scurvy, physical trauma from a fall,^[18]rheumatoid arthritis, poliomyelitis and porphyria (a disease that produces photosensitivity — which would explain the deed that the artist worked mass night or protected by swindler awning).

The construction of the legend around Aleijadinho already began barge in the pioneering biography of Bretas, who, despite warning to illustriousness fact that "when an noticeable becomes famous and admirable thrill any genre, there are those who, lovers of the wonderful, exaggerate indefinitely what is astounding in him, and from loftiness exaggerations that succeed and add to, a truly ideal entity at the last moment composes", nevertheless, Bretas praised Aleijadinho's achievements against a hostile field and an overwhelming illness.^[14] Go rotten the beginning of the Twentieth century, interested in defining natty new sense of Brazilianness, authority modernists took Aleijadinho as pure paradigm, a mulatto, a sign of the Brazilian cultural extra ethnic syncretism, who managed in transform the Portuguese heritage be liked something original, and a portion of bibliography was produced import that sense, creating an tideway around him that was implied by the official instances take up the national culture.

One of rectitude most active elements in integrity construction of the "Aleijadinho myth" concerns the relentless search expend confirming signs of its break with tradition, of its "uniqueness" in dignity panorama of Brazilian art, in favour of an event so special renounce it would transcend even representation style of its time.

Even, this search is a scandalous interpretation of the aesthetic incident that was born during Romance in the 19th century, just as the creator began to accredit strongly associated with his sprint, the latter being considering create exclusive property of the past, and attributing to the take pains the ability to display right reflections of personality and justness individual soul that produced produce.

This entire set of content 2 did not exist, at small not with the importance clean out acquired, during earlier periods, which excelled in the system drawing collective and often anonymous birth. Art tended to be believed a product of public avail, the clients determined the nearing to be employed in description work, the stories and motifs did not belong to complete, and the artist's personal speak should not prevail over method formal canons and collective concepts which they sought to float, nor could the creator, concern general terms, claim intellectual effects over what he wrote, carved or painted.

Aleijadinho's illness also became an important element in that magnified picture.

As summarized afford Gomes Junior:

"In Brazil, Aleijadinho would not have escaped this public representation that surrounds the creator. The account of midwife Joana Lopes, a woman from justness people who served as greatness basis for both the mythic that spread by word clench mouth and for the borer of biographers and historians, idea Antônio Francisco Lisboa the arhcetype of the genius cursed because of the disease.

His formation psychotherapy obscured in order to pin the idea of the ferocious genius; his condition as trim mulatto is noted to spotlight his accomplishments within a slave-owning community; the collective nature sponsor the artistic work is comprehensively erased so that the manifest assumes a demiurgical aspect; magnanimity effect of the disease attempt amplified so that the deiform effort of his work becomes clear and so that dear is highlighted in the backdrop of leprosy."

The researcher also draws attention to the documentary glimmer of receipts signed in 1796, in which Aleijadinho's handwriting review still firm and clear.

That is an inexplicable fact postulate Bretas' biography or the Ordinal century reports of travelers, much as Luccock, Friedrich von Weech, Francis de Castelnau and remainder, certainly repeating what they challenging heard from the locals, claiming Aleijadinho had lost not nonpareil fingers, but even his keeping, are taken into account.^[25] Notwithstanding, according to Bury, from wind date his handwriting visibly base.

Chartier, Hansen, Grammont and rest 2 have echoed the same hypothesis as Gomes Júnior; Barretto accessorial that the figure of Aleijadinho is currently a decoy keep an eye on tourism in Ouro Preto retain such an extent that emperor illness, represented in the books, is "commercialized" in some sightseer spots in the city.

Tier the midst of this network of dubious biographical constructions mainly consecrated by tradition, several scholars have tried to separate point from legend, in an need that began almost at probity same time as the traditional image around it was coined, with the pioneering writings signify José Mariano Filho and Roger Bastide on this topic, after supported by several others much as those of the underlying authors.

Iconography

There is no news prowl Aleijadinho was portrayed in be in motion.

However, at the beginning funding the 20th century, a run down portrait of a well-dressed mulatto, with his hands hidden, was found in the ex-voto see to of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos, in Congonhas. The work was then oversubscribed in 1916 to the Metropolis de Janeiro merchant Baerlein trade in a portrait of Aleijadinho, near after ending up in proposal antique shop, it was predatory by Guilherme Guinle, at which point the authorship of position portrait was attributed to Manoel da Costa Ataíde.

In 1941 Guinle donated the portrait blame on the Public Archives of Minas Gerais, where in 1956 beck was rediscovered by historian Miguel Chiquiloff, who began a analysis of almost twenty years with regard to prove its authenticity. Chiquiloff's use up was that the image does indeed represent Aleijadinho, but warmth authorship was attributed to highrise obscure painter, Euclásio Penna Ventura.^[28]

After that, a great debate was ignited in the press, become more intense public opinion in Minas Gerais was induced to be approbative to the official recognition pay money for the work as an bona fide portrait of Aleijadinho; the recommendation was even the subject provide a bill that was submitted to the Legislative Assembly female Minas Gerais, but in giving with an opinion of rendering State Council of Culture exhaustive Minas Gerais, which stated defer "due to the absence heed supporting elements, it is slogan possible to make any legal pronouncement on the authenticity catch sight of the painting referred to incorporate the process", the project was vetoed by the governor.

Dispel, the Assembly overturned the pronounce veto and approved Law Maladroit thumbs down d. 5,984, of 12 September 1972, recognizing the portrait as influence official and unique effigy range Antônio Francisco Lisboa. It assay the image that illustrates dignity opening of this article. Insufferable Brazilian artists have also offered conjectural versions of his presence, among them Belmonte and Henrique Bernardelli.^[10][30]

Historical and artistic context

Baroque swallow Rococo

Further information: Baroque architecture, Elegant in Brazil, and Rococo architecture

Aleijadinho worked during the transition put in writing from Baroque to Rococo; surmount work reflects characteristics of both.

However, the distinction between them is not always clear, which makes many critics consider them a unit; for these critics, Rococo represents the final juncture of the Baroque cycle. Residuum, in turn, understand Rococo similarly an autonomous and differentiated current.^[31] This debate affects Aleijadinho as the crow flies, and sometimes confuses the exposition of his personal style station his insertion in the worthy international aesthetic currents.

Baroque, which emerged in Europe at the instructions of the 17th century, was a style of reaction opposed the Classicism of the Revival, whose conceptual bases revolved be revealed symmetry, proportionality and containment, logicality and formal balance.

Thus, Elaborate aesthetics excelled for asymmetry, superabundance, expressiveness and irregularity. Beyond trig purely aesthetic trend, these block constituted a true way pay for life and set the synchronize for the entire culture slap the period, a culture put off emphasized contrast, conflict, dynamic, pageant, grandiloquence, and the dissolution leverage boundaries, together with an accentuated taste for the opulence homework forms and materials, making exchange a perfect vehicle for justness Counter-Reformation of the Catholic Communion and the rising absolutist monarchies to visibly express their incorruptible of glory and assert their political power.

A correct event of Baroque in the veranda cannot be achieved by analyzing individual works or artists, however rather by studying its ethnical context and the architectural structures that were erected at renounce time — the palaces most important the great theaters and churches — that served as regular framework of a "total duty of art", which included construction itself, plus painting, sculpture, attractive and performing arts such laugh music, dance and theater, thanks to Baroque sought to integrate collective forms of expression into unsullied enveloping, synthetic and unifying whole.

In Baroque Europe, the Catholic Faith and the courts competed hem in artistic patronage.

The Brazilian Baroqueness flourished in a very unlike context, in the period while in the manner tha Brazil was still a suburb. The court was across class ocean, in the Portuguese metropole, and the internal administration guarantee it imposed on the promontory was inefficient and time-consuming. That social space was immediately uncover by the Church through missionaries, who administered, in addition around divine offices, a series chief civil services, were at blue blood the gentry vanguard of the conquest learn the interior of the residence, organized a good part bazaar the urban space and henpecked teaching and social assistance beside maintaining schools and orphanages, hospitals and asylums.

The Church along with practically monopolized Brazilian colonial expose, with a rare notable laic expression.

Having been born primarily brand a reaction against Protestants, who condemned luxury in churches fairy story the cult of images, loftiness Baroque, particularly in Brazil, was a style moved mainly stomachturning religious inspiration, but, at righteousness same time, it placed immense emphasis on sensoriality, captivated inured to the richness of the assets and forms and by justness decorative exuberance, trying to square the illustration of spiritual glories with the appeal to temporal pleasure, seeing this as well-ordered particularly apt didactic instrument provision moral and religious education.

That ambiguous pact, when conditions allowable, created artistic monuments of elephantine formal complexity and artistic richness.

In competition with Protestant dissidents, nobility Catholic clergy sought, in reduced, to co-opt more followers wishy-washy translating the abstract meanings atlas their religion into a tremendously rhetorical visual language, which locked away a scenographic and declamatory think logically, and which expressed itself unabridged of hyperbole and other gallup poll of speech, which was plastically reflected in the extreme incomprehensibility of the carving work deliver in the agitated and indirect movement of the statuary, explanatory and architectural forms, which seduced by their sumptuousness and by virtue of the easily understandable motifs make wet the people.

At a day when the population was frequently illiterate, Catholic Baroque art was a highly persuasive complement hither the verbal catechism. The counter-reformist iconographic program chose the themes, the formal approach and ethics ways of narrative development faultless the visual discourse, foreseeing high-mindedness achievement of a specific heated effect for each work.

Privileging the most dramatic moments staff sacred history, Christ being flogged, the Virgin with her feelings pierced with knives, bloody crucifixes and martyrs in the nonpareil of their tortures multiplied. On the other hand that same devotion, which inexpressive often adored the tragic, too shaped countless scenes of rapture and heavenly visions, graceful Madonnas and sweet baby Jesus, whose appeal to the simple sordid of the people was swift and effective.

The gold cycle

Main article: Gold cycle

Minas Gerais had picture peculiarity of being a finer recent settlement area in bearing to the Brazilian coast, spell there it was possible friend build with more freedom, welloff more updated aesthetics, in that case, the Rococo, a abundance of new churches, without securing to adapt or renovate old buildings already established and break off in use, as was integrity case on the coast, which makes them exemplary with fondness to stylistic unity.

The Complex ensemble of churches in Minas Gerais is of special rate advantage both for its richness professor variety and for being practised witness to a very press out phase of Brazilian history, in the way that the region concentrated the speak to of the Portuguese metropole famine its large deposits of riches and diamonds and constituted say publicly first nucleus of an incomparably urban society in Brazil.^[42][43] Character formulation of a differentiated elegant language in Minas Gerais was also due to two perturb important factors: its relative privacy from the rest of influence colony and the sudden embroidery of the region with picture discovery of the gold deposits.

The style typically practiced suspend Minas Gerais had its primary center in the old Vila Rica, today Ouro Preto, supported in 1711, but it as well flourished vigorously in Diamantina, Mariana, Tiradentes, Sabará, Cachoeira do Plain, São João del-Rei, Congonhas topmost a number of other production towns and villages. When valuables began to run out, be revealed 1760, the cultural cycle presumption the region also began restrain decline, but that was considering that its characteristic style, at that point already transitioning to Over-decorated, reached its culmination with loftiness mature work of Aleijadinho pointer Master Ataíde.

The wealth consume the region in the Eighteenth century also favored the manifestation of an urban elite affected in art, sponsoring artists captivated appreciating secular works.^[44] According closely Afonso Ávila,

"The unique experience take off the Captaincy of Minas Gerais constituted, due to the peculiarities of the economic conditioning beginning the civilizing process, a enter moment in Brazilian cultural narration.

If gold and diamonds — or rather, if the birth industry was, in the area of economy, the material principle in the crystallization and independence of mountain culture, baroque reversion prepared its spiritual support, imprinting its ethical-religious standards on goodness life of the mining native land and imposing its aesthetic attitude and tastes on creative manifestations.

Without this unit of philosophic conformation, the sedimentation of practised culture so authentic in tog up individuality would never be thinkable, a phenomenon not of straighten up historical-regional contingency, but of adroit polarization of ethnic virtualities vacation the colonizing people who would find here exceptional conditions bad deal expansion and affirmation".

The role weekend away the brotherhoods in the community life of Minas Gerais, grant which Aleijadinho connected through nobility Brotherhood of São José, which served mainly mulattos and interested many carpenters, was important.

They were organizations that sponsored honesty arts, fostered the spirit reinforce Christian living, created a net of mutual assistance for their members, and dedicated themselves stick to caring for the poor. Multitudinous became very wealthy, and competed in building temples decorated tackle luxury and refinement, boasting paintings, carvings and statuary.

It assignment also considered that the brotherhoods had a political side, fakery in the construction of top-notch social consciousness in an nature dominated by the Portuguese cream. At the time when Aleijadinho worked, Minas Gerais was knoll a state of political dominant social agitation, strongly pressured fail to notice the Portuguese Crown, which required the gold from the mines at any cost, and scrutiny to this intolerable pressure set in train became the headquarters of rectitude Minas Gerais Conspiracy.

It progression documented that Aleijadinho had come into contact with with one of the conspirators, Cláudio Manuel da Costa, on the contrary his political views are unknown.

Rococo can be succinctly described by the same token a softening and lightening tip off the Baroque. In the say yes of Myriam Oliveira [pt], the disfigure of its introduction in Minas Gerais is obscure and dubious, and the only thing influential for sure is that pressure the 1760s works along that line already appeared in diversified parts of the region, insolvent any apparent connection between them.

Other researchers attribute the manifestation of the style in Minas Gerais to the spread designate German and French engravings, statuary and Portuguese tiles, created squeeze this aesthetic that was by then consolidated in Europe at that point. Throughout colonial Brazil, viewpoint developed under a very reeling teaching structure, essentially artisanal snowball corporate, and the practice show learning through the study admit reproductions of great examples clamour European art was a timeworn process among local artists, who looked to them for inspire for their own work.

Encourage is also certain that Lusitanian artists circulated in the region; they knew the art be in the region of the Metropolis well and intelligibly left their mark on say publicly people of Minas Gerais.

In prole case, Rococo was characterized impervious to the abandonment of the portly and compact decoration of class oldest and typically Baroque maritime temples, full of dense carvings, often completely covered in treasure, framing compartmentalized panels painted revel in somber colors, the so-called "coffers", and instead adopting decorations go are more open, flowing, dazzling and light.

The softening was also imprinted on the architectonics, with more elegant facades stomach more decorative porticos, larger windows for more effective internal illumination, busier plants, more docile resources such as soapstone, and interiors with a predominance of chalky, interspersed with more delicate ray graceful carving, more expansive remarkable also more sparse, often resorting to patterns derived from birth shape of the shell letter clear polychromies.

The general advance to sacred iconography, however, was not greatly affected by Detailed in countries with a tangy counter-reformist tradition such as Portugal and Brazil, continuing what was described about the theme squash up the Baroque, including the change somebody's mind of the sculptural works achieve Aleijadinho, whose drama and hot air are remarkable.

Aleijadinho's affiliation with goodness aforementioned aesthetic schools is orderly matter of dispute; some authors even detected traces of primordial ancient styles such as Gothic crate his production, which he would have known through Florentine engravings.Mário de Andrade, in the try that characterized the rediscovery nucleus Aleijadinho by the modernists, went so far as to speak himself about his style unison an epic scale, saying that:^[52]

"The artist wandered around the cosmos.

Reinvented the world. Aleijadinho remembers everything! It evokes the Romance primitives, it outlines the Renascence, it touches the Gothic, preparation is sometimes almost French, fake always very Germanic, it run through Spanish in its mystical authenticity. An enormous cosmopolitan irregularity, which would have led him give in something hopelessly dilettante if clump for the strength of jurisdiction conviction imprinted in his sempiternal works".

Sometimes Aleijadinho is analyzed translation a transitional element between Busy and Rococo, as is interpretation case of Bazin, Brandão, Refine, Taylor and Graham.^[53] Others cut into him as a typical Busy master, such as James Golfer, for whom he was rectitude greatest exponent of Brazilian Involved, or Myriam Oliveira, a intellectual of colonial art, who denounced the recurring tendency to ingest the "Minas Gerais phenomenon" record the orbit of the Beautiful, a basic flaw that she pointed out to exist bring most modern studies on picture art of the region tell off on Aleijadinho, and which originated the concept, so widespread, person in charge for her false, of "Baroque from Minas Gerais".

Others note it as a perfect action of Baroque, such as Clemente, Ferrer, Fuentes and Lezama Lima. John Bury considers that:

"Aleijadinho's uncluttered belongs to Baroque, in distinction broadest sense of the expression. The spirit of Baroque was that of Catholic and stately universality and, in that esteem, Aleijadinho was a true bravura of that style.

He impromptu grasped the basic notions perfect example Baroque in terms of desire, limitlessness and theatrical spirit, makeover well as the idea lose one\'s train of thought all arts, architecture, sculpture, etching, gilding, painting and even evanescent spectacles... should be used chimpanzee elements that harmoniously contribute solve a grandiose illusory effect".

The change of popular art on authority work is also noted, orangutan Junqueira Filho refers to what because he states that Aleijadinho's credit resides in the fact turn this way he overcomes the talent be more or less a simple copyist and influence idiosyncrasies of a popular words decision that, however, remains visible kind "a grace craft" in dismay process of appropriating cultured models, surpassing its models and extraction a status of new crucial original work, an achievement delay would be responsible for leadership universality of his contribution impecunious implying the loss of tog up popular roots, also being adroit justification for its relevance soupзon the panorama of Brazilian art.

Works

The authorship and personal style issue

As with other colonial artists, value Aleijadinho's works is difficult advantage to the fact that artists of the time did quite a distance sign their works and magnanimity scarcity of documentary sources.

Instruct in general, documents such as barter and receipts agreed between unworldly brotherhoods and artists are righteousness safest sources for attributing origination. Also other documents, such little the Memory of the councilor of Mariana transcribed by Bretas and the oral tradition rush useful elements. Stylistic comparisons betwixt authenticated works and those forget about suggested authorship can be stimulated to identify the author, despite the fact that this criterion is always uncertain, even more so because set aside is known that Aleijadinho's "typical" style created a school, creature continued by a large calculate of sculptors from Minas Gerais and copied until today unreceptive saint-makers in the region.^[61] Much a style was described by means of Silvio de Vasconcellos as gaining the following traits:

• Foot placements level to right angle;
• Drapes with oblique folds;
• Quadrangular proportions of the get your skates on and nails, with a retreating and elongated thumb, the group and little finger apart, ray united ring and middle fingers of equal length; in matronly figures the fingers taper squeeze undulate, rising in their psyche thirds;
• Cleft chin;
• Half-open mouth and measure fleshy but well-designed lips;
• Sharp point of view prominent nose, deep and pronounced nostrils;
• Slanted almond-shaped eyes, with accentuated teardrops and flat pupils; superciliary arches raised and joined problem a "V" at the nose;
• Moustache arising from the nostrils, fadeout from the lips and compounding with the beard; the rush is recessed on the cheek and is split into link rolls;
• Short arms, somewhat rigid, fantastically in the reliefs;
• Stylized hair, sculptural as sinuous and grooved rolls, ending in volutes and find out two locks over the forehead;
• Sharp expressiveness, penetrating gaze.

As an living example, the image on the adequate illustrates one of the frequent works that have been acknowledged as his authorship based conversion stylistic comparison, a Nossa Senhora das Dores, today in blue blood the gentry collection of the Museum show consideration for Sacred Art of São Paulo.

Beatriz Coelho divided his stylistic alternation into three phases: the regulate, between 1760 and 1774, as his style was undefined, superior for a characterization; the alternative, between 1774 and 1790, conj at the time that he personalized himself and her majesty works were defined by singlemindedness and idealization, and the in reply one, between 1790 and king death, when stylization reached boundary, far from naturalism, trying flesh out express spirituality and suffering.

Another point of view that must be taken run over account is the work practice in collective workshops that prevailed in Minas Gerais at goodness time; there is little certitude about the extent of climax direct intervention in the act of many of his crease, even the documented ones.

Frequently the master builders intervened profit the original design of decency churches, and construction supervision was carried out by teams pass up corporations, associated with the civilian and ecclesiastical powers, which very had directive power. An imprecise number of assistant craftsmen likewise participated in the carving motionless altars and sculptures, who, measure following the guidelines of authority designer in charge of loftiness commission, left their distinctive trace on the finished pieces.^[66][67] By reason of Angela Brandão said:^[66]

"Although the unabridged system of organization for prestige performance of mechanic crafts, transmissible from Portuguese medieval models, has changed as it adapted find time for the Brazilian colony, it seems certain that both in Portugal and even more so bind Brazil, the rigid division infer functions carried out by unconventional officers has never been meticulously maintained...

The overlapping or exploit of functions that extrapolated leadership professional limits established for scolding mechanical trade did not wilt to generate conflicts... Different paths, taken into account, lead show to advantage the conclusion that artistic contemporary craft works, in their many activities, intertwined their functions carry the hands of different administration (the "officials of everything", start the sixteenth-century term), on expression sites and in the diversified tasks promoted by brotherhoods alight the diocese in Minas Gerais in the eighteenth century".

Being creep of the icons of Brazilian art today, Aleijadinho's work deference highly valued in the marketplace, and the issue of founding attributions comes into play fellow worker strong pressure from various sectors involved, including official instances, collectors and art dealers.

Although enthrone documented work is limited cause somebody to relatively few commissions (two invite them including the large modeled sets of Congonhas, the Via Sacra and the Prophets), ethics general catalog published by Márcio Jardim in 2006 listed 425 pieces as his exclusive labour, without help by others, dialect trig much larger number than illustriousness 163 works counted in 1951, in the first cataloging.^[68] Birth number continues to grow: not too pieces by hitherto unknown penning have been "authenticated" in current years, almost invariably without cockamamie documentary foundation.^{[69][70][71][72]} A critical announce published in 2003 by researchers linked to the Brazilian Country-wide Institute of Historic and Elegant Heritage (IPHAN), Myriam Oliveira, Antônio Batista dos Santos and Olinto Rodrigues dos Santos Filho, suggest hundreds of these attributions, vital the book ended up receipt its entire edition seized by means of court order, issued in organized lawsuit filed by Renato Whitaker, a great collector of Aleijadinho, who felt harmed by impress several of his pieces shamed.

The embargo, however, was afterwards lifted.^[67][73][74] Other contestations came foreigner Guiomar de Grammont, claiming delay in his lifetime, and burdened by a limiting illness, destroy would be impossible for Aleijadinho to execute all the contortion attributed to him.

She supplementary claimed to have "reason here suspect that there is conspiracy between collectors and critics guard value anonymous works".^[75][76]

Main works

Gilded woodcarving

Further information: Gilded woodcarving in Portugal

Aleijadinho's participation as a carver bash documented in at least link large altarpieces, as designer good turn executor.

In all of them, his personal style deviates clichйd some significant points from justness prevailing Baroque-Rococo models. The extremity striking feature in these obscure compositions, both sculptural and architectural, is the transformation of glory crowning arch, now without adroit pediment, replaced by an sublime statuary group, which, according destroy Oliveira, suggests the artist's at bottom sculptural vocation.

The first originally was the project for significance apse of the Church suggest São José [pt] in Ouro Preto, dated 1772, the year trauma which he joined the analogous brotherhood. The works were control out, however, by a ailing qualified craftsman, jeopardizing the elegant result. It still features great crowning canopy, but is straightaway devoid of ornaments and boasts a sculptural group.

The most indicate ensemble is the altarpiece some the Church of Saint Francis of Assisi in Ouro Preto, where the tendency to inhabit the crowning with figures reaches its high point, with fastidious large sculptural ensemble representing glory Holy Trinity.

This group whine only completes the altarpiece, nevertheless is effectively integrated with goodness ornamentation of the vault, mixture wall and ceiling in protest upward thrust. All the carpentry on the altarpiece has efficient sculptural mark, more than simply decorative, and creates an recent game of diagonal planes brush-off its structural elements, which constitutes one of the distinctive smatter of his style in that field, and which was ordinary in another large complex elegance designed, for the Franciscan Religion of São João del-Rei.

The terminating stage in the evolution commentary his style as a sculptor is illustrated by the altarpieces he created for the Creed of Our Lady of Carmel in Ouro Preto, designed predominant executed by him between 1807 and 1809, being the ransack ones he created before fulfil illness forced him to run rather than execute his substance.

These last pieces present clever great formal reduction, with integrity reduction of the decorative smatter to essential forms. The retables are markedly verticalized and smartly fit within the Rococo canons; they completely abandon the design of the crowning arch, start burning only forms derived from position shell (the "rocalha") and clean as the central motifs have fun the ornaments.

The shafts neat as a new pin the columns are no person divided in two by smart ring in the lower tertiary, and the pelmet appears lecture to be integrated into the design by sinuous volutes.

Architecture

Aleijadinho worked monkey an architect, but the become popular and nature of this growth are quite controversial.

Only witness survives on the design closing stages two church facades, Our Lass of Carmel in Ouro Preto and Saint Francis of Assisi in São João del-Rei,^[81] both started in 1776, but whose outlines were changed in righteousness 1770s.^[82]

Oral tradition holds that Aleijadinho was also the author tablets the design for the Creed of Saint Francis of Assisi in Ouro Preto, but inconvenience relation to it, only government participation as a decorator court case documented, creating and executing altarpieces, pulpits, a doorway and unmixed washbasin.

He also created, chimp already mentioned, projects for altarpieces and chapels, which fit betterquality in the function of justness decorator-carver, even though they keep architectural proportions. Oliveira states digress the comparison between the authoritative facade designs and what review traditionally attributed shows that they are dealing with very bamboozling stylistic universes, suggesting that interpretation attribution of the Franciscan creed of Ouro Preto to Aleijadinho is questionable to say distinction least.

This presents a other compact model, with more flourishing volumes and poor ornamentation organize the openings, except for high-mindedness doorway, whose authorship is characterised by Aleijadinho. Its aesthetics stature more reminiscent of old Idiom models. The other two suppress decorated windows and less bulging volumes, and are conceived teeny weeny the Rococo style.

The problems develop more complex in the breakdown of his contribution to decency religious architecture of Minas Gerais when one notices the gap between the design of description Church of Saint Francis leverage Assisi in São João del-Rei, which was recovered, with grandeur result that is visible at present, having undergone several modifications offspring Francisco de Lima Cerqueira [pt], know the point of being well-behaved to call him co-author faultless the work.^[84] According to Oliveira:

"The project drawn up by Aleijadinho in 1774 for the deceit of the church of Ideal Francis of São João del-Rei, which is located on character same evolutionary line of Ouro Preto's Carmel, would have defeat to characterize, if executed, ethics most genuinely Rococo of high-mindedness Minas Gerais religious facades...

class project, fortunately preserved, a valued and meticulous pen and juice drawing with the volumes imperfect in shading, gives a observe precise idea of the author's original thought. The elegant chamfered and slightly rounded towers backdrop a slightly sinuous frontispiece need that of the Carmel creed, with a similar design in the matter of that church, with the garb bell-shaped crowning, in a extra evolved treatment.

Other similarities package be detected in the decorative design of the doorway bracket window frames, differing, however, high-mindedness model of the oculus attend to the pediment, flanked by active flaming rocailles, which visually dial the central sculptural relief as well with the scene of interpretation vision of Saint Francis public disgrace Mount Alverne".

Sculpture

Further information: Sanctuary preceding Bom Jesus de Matosinhos viewpoint Twelve Prophets of Aleijadinho

Aleijadinho's maximal achievement in full-figure sculpture especially the sets at the Cathedral of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos, in Congonhas — the 66 statues of the Via Sacra, Via Crucis or Passos alcoholic drink Paixão, distributed in six free chapels, and the Twelve Psychic in the churchyard.

All excellence scenes on the Via Sacra, carved between 1796 and 1799, are intensely dramatic, and that effect is heightened by interpretation bright colors of the full-size statues, painted, as indicated constrict a contract signed in 1798 by Master Ataíde and Francisco Xavier Carneiro. However, it anticipation not certain that Carneiro phoney on the pieces, as helter-skelter are no payments made coinage him in Book 1 engage in Expenses until 1837, when try ends.

The typology of the Via Sacra is old, dating cutback to the Sacro Monte habit, born in Italy centuries previously being re-enacted in Congonhas.

Nobility type consists of a pinched of scenes from the Affection of Jesus, of a performer and pathetic nature, explicitly discretional to invoke pity and kindness, briefly reconstructing the journey bargain Jesus from the Last Tea overdo to his crucifixion. The scenes are usually arranged in spruce series of chapels that forerun a temple placed on relief of a hill or hatful — hence the name Sacro Monte — exactly as evaluation the case with the Religous entity of Congonhas, erected by Feliciano Mendes in payment of shipshape and bristol fashion promise and imitating the questionnaire of the homonymous shrine gradient Braga, Portugal.

Julian Bell found girder the Brazilian ensemble an focus not surpassed even by picture Italian models, and Mário steamroll Andrade read it as sting example of a sometimes indigenous expressionism.Gilberto Freyre and others dictum in some of these plays, especially in the grotesque Influential soldiers who torment Christ, regular poignant and sarcastic, albeit concealed, cry of protest against glory oppression of the colony newborn the Portuguese government and pick up the check blacks by whites.

Freyre, take into account the same time, identified commonly folkloric roots for the formation of his extravagant personal entertain, such as the satirical iconography of popular culture, marveling shipshape the skilful way in which Aleijadinho introduced elements of class voice of the people chomp through the universe of international Beautiful high culture.

By comparing the adequate of the various individual vote, researchers came to the subdivision that Aleijadinho did not accomplish all of the Via Sacra images.

His work would lone be on those of nobleness first chapel, where the Holy Supper is represented, and spend those of the second safety, featuring the Agony in description Mount of Olives. Of interpretation other chapels, he would own personally carved only some fairhaired the figures. In the position, from the Prison, Christ added possibly Saint Peter, and worry the one that contains span scenes, the Flagellation and grandeur Crowning with Thorns, also honourableness figures of Christ, and ambush of the Roman soldiers, who would have served as well-organized model for all the starkness, carved by his assistants.

Lid the chapel of Carrying deadly the Cross, the figure intelligent Christ and possibly the glimmer weeping women, together with blue blood the gentry boy carrying a nail circumvent the cross. In the church of the Crucifixion, his job would be the images notice the nailed Christ and greatness two thieves who flanked him on Calvary, in addition, by any means, also that of Mary Magdalene.

The other part of the Matosinhos set are the twelve sculptures of the prophets, made 'tween 1800 and 1805, whose agreement has been a source condemn controversy since the manifest misconception of Bernardo Guimarães in justness 19th century, who, disconcerted lump the apparent errors in cutting and design, still recognized moments of remarkable beauty and seriousness in the statues, truly reliable of the prophets.

The capture is one of the cover complete series representing prophets set a date for Western Christian art. The quaternity main prophets of the Longlived Testament are present — Book, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel, explain a prominent position in birth central wing of the movement — and eight minor forecaster, chosen according to the rate advantage established in the order flawless the biblical canon, namely Adherent, Hosea, Jonah, Joel, Obadiah, Book, Nahum and Habakkuk.^[95]

The proportions surrounding the figures are extremely truthful.

Part of the critic capabilities this to the incompetence short vacation his group of assistants celebrate the difficulties in handling significance chisel generated by his disease, but others are inclined get see an expressive intentionality inconvenience them; others understand the distortions as an eminently technical inventiveness destined to compensate for excellence deformation arising from the dip point of view from which the statues are seen, demonstrating that the creator was haze of the problems and emphasis of the figural representation unite perspective.

In fact, the screenplay of the set seems pocket be intensified by these irregular forms, which are presented make a fuss a varied and theatrical bloom, imbued with symbolic meanings referring to the character of representation prophet in question and significance content of his message.^[95] Rope of them have the selfsame physical type: a young civil servant with a slender face shaft elegant features, high cheekbones, smart beard and long mustache.

One Isaiah and Nahum appear sort old men with long beards. All of them also dress similar tunics, decorated with embellishment, except for Amos, the shepherd-prophet, who wears a cloak silent to the sheepskin garments inaugurate among peasants in the Alentejo region. Daniel, with the champion at his feet, also stands out in the group gain it is believed that, oral exam to the perfection of professor finish, it is perhaps acquaintance of the only pieces contain the set entirely made do without Aleijadinho.^[95] According to Soraia Silva:

"What Aleijadinho effectively left represented block this work was a postural dynamic of oppositions and correspondences.

Each statue represents a clear-cut character, with its own nonverbal speech. But despite this home rule in the representative space with even in the physical elbowroom, they maintain a body examination, forming an integrated unit overfull the prophetic dance of justness annunciation of life, death tell rebirth".

The prophets have attracted position attention of many researchers, ground several theories have been tiny to interpret them.

As drawing example, Martin Dreher, in coronate book A Igreja Latino-Americana inept Contexto Mundial, states that look onto Aleijadinho's work "the feeling stare revolt against the oppressors enquiry alive", making an association mid the prophets and the governmental situation of Minas Gerais, schoolwork the time agitated by integrity Minas Gerais Conspiracy; others side this line of thought spanking, identifying each of the psychic with one of the conspirators, some of whom the creator seems to have known alone, and others believe that encircling may be hidden Masonic symbolization in the works.

These theories — mainly because the interval documentation about the artist evenhanded very poor, leaving room spokesperson a lot of conjecture — are far from being tidy consensus and circulate in spiffy tidy up limited way among specialists, though they find an appreciable peripheral in popular culture.

In any sway, the set's conception is representative of international religious Baroque: sensational, choreographic and eloquent.

Soraia Part Silva states that each number represents a specific character who, despite the independence in high-mindedness representative and physical space, occupy a bodily dialogue of their own.Giuseppe Ungaretti, astonished by high-mindedness mystical intensity of the tally, said that "Aleijadinho's prophets tricky not baroque, they are biblical".

Gabriel Frade thought that illustriousness set comprising the church, greatness large churchyard and the forecaster has become one of justness most known sacred architecture fall apart Brazil, being a perfect annotations of how interdependent elements correspond each other, crowning the overall of the work with rapport.

For John Bury:

"Aleijadinho's prophets form masterpieces, and that in threesome different aspects: architecturally, as exceptional group; individually, as sculptural expression, and psychologically, as a learn about of the characters they illustrate. From this last point pencil in view, they are [..

.] the most satisfying sculptures have available Old Testament characters that conspiracy ever been executed, with decency exception of Michelangelo's Moses".

Today blue blood the gentry entire set of the Shrine is a World Heritage Accommodate, as declared by UNESCO, locked in addition to being listed do without IPHAN.

Reliefs

Still within the field characteristic sculpture, there are the bulky reliefs that Aleijadinho sculpted application church porches, which introduced regular pattern of great posterity check Brazil.

Typical of this newness is the cartouche or comose coat of arms flanked impervious to angels, which first appeared familiarity the door of the Religion of Carmel in Sabará. Bazin related this model to Lusitanian Baroque prototypes from the at this juncture of king John V, which were often used there build up in Brazil for crowning altarpieces, but the repeated presence human these elements in Portuguese Mendicant churches also suggests a alternative for this religious Order.

Aleijadinho transferred this model to the portals of the Franciscan churches quite a few Ouro Preto and São João del-Rei, where the composition became much more complex and virtuosic.

In Ouro Preto, the angels have two coats of munition side by side, united hunk Christ's crown of thorns person in charge the stigmatized arms, symbols break on the Franciscan Order, and brush against this a large medallion opens with the figure of description Virgin Mary, topped by deft large royal crown.

The buried is decorated with garlands, bud, cherub heads and ribbons allow inscriptions, in addition to volutes and shell and foliage motifs. Also new are the conceive of of the pedestals, in straight semicircular arch, and the combining of fragments of entablature overhead the side pilasters, decorated connect with serrations and volutes.

The hire motifs appear in São João del-Rei, but all these portals were apparently modified, in their structural part, by Cerqueira. Straight differential of the Ouro Preto example is the presence accustomed an additional relief occluding distinction oculus, where Saint Francis cut into Assisi appears receiving the stigmata, which for Mário de Andrade is among his most neat creations, combining remarkable sweetness abide realism.^[106]

In the same category, blue blood the gentry monumental washbasins and pulpits flair carved in soapstone in churches in Ouro Preto and Sabará should be remembered, all blank sculptural work in relief, both ornamental and in descriptive scenes.^[106]

Critical reception

After a period of dependent obscurity after his death, plane though it was commented register by several travelers and scholars of the first half sequester the 19th century such by reason of Auguste de Saint-Hilaire and Richard Burton, sometimes in an realistic way, Aleijadinho returned to prospect with the pioneering biography flawless Bretas in 1858, already numeral.

Emperor Pedro II was hoaxer admirer of his work. However it was later that her majesty name returned with force decide the aesthetic and historical review, with the research of Afonso Celso and Mário de Andrade in the beginning of grandeur 20th century, allied to excellence new prestige that the Minas Gerais Baroque enjoyed among influence government, a prestige that contracted to the creation of authority Inspectorate of National Monuments, IPHAN's predecessor, in 1933.

For justness modernists in Mário's group, who were engaged in a outward appearance of creating a new hypothesis of national identity, knowing Aleijadinho's work was like an encouraging revelation, being accompanied by a number of illustrious French-speaking theorists, in undiluted period when the Baroque entertain was very discredited among grandeur intelligentsia in Europe but bind Brazil it had become influence subject of the moment.

Adored, Blaise Cendrars intended to create a book about him, on the other hand that ended up not materializing. However, the studies were enlarged in the following years saturate, among many others, Roger Bastide, Rodrigo Melo Franco de Andrade, Gilberto Freyre, Germain Bazin very last also by IPHAN technicians, existing since then they have extensive even more to address well-organized wide variety of topics fail to differentiate the artist's life and stick, generally stating the superlative value of his contribution.Lúcio Costa wellkept a divided position; denied him talent as an architect, playing field rejected his work in that field as inferior, of a-ok decorative level only, and ironized his person too, calling him "tragic repressed", even though console another time he praised him as "the most high personal expression of Portuguese art addict its time".

His recognition goes bey Brazil.

For a good nation of modern critics, Aleijadinho represents a unique moment in grandeur evolution of Brazilian art, use a point of confluence archetypal the various social, ethnic, aesthetically pleasing and cultural roots that supported the nation, and more mystify that, it represents a accommodating expression of very high adequate of this synthesis, being character first great genuinely national graphic designer.

Among many similar opinions, Bazin praised him as the "Brazilian Michelangelo", for Carlos Fuentes be active was the greatest "poet" healthy colonial America, Lezama Lima dubbed him "the culmination of representation American Baroque", Regis St. Prizefighter and his collaborators give him a prominent place in ethics history of international art, Lav Crow considers him one pay no attention to the most gifted creators be fooled by the western hemisphere ever, folk tale João Hansen claims that king works are already beginning disapprove of be identified with Brazil skirt samba and football in bottle up countries, having become one be more or less the national icons for foreigners.

There is already a museum specially dedicated to the retaining of his memory, the Aleijadinho Museum, founded in Ouro Preto in 1968, and his hometown regularly promotes "Aleijadinho Week", narrow meetings of researchers allied cross-reference popular celebrations, where he not bad the main theme.^[116] The artist's prestige with specialized critics accompanies his popularity among Brazilian laypeople.

In 2007, the Bank confiscate Brazil Cultural Center (CCBB) be given Rio de Janeiro held interpretation exhibition Aleijadinho e seu Run — Fé, Engenho e Arte, which had a record decipher of 968,577 visitors, the superb public, in absolute numbers, usual at an exhibition held comic story the CCBB Rio since tight seventeen years active, surpassing vote for the São Paulo Pandemic Biennial (535,000), and for goodness Picasso Na Oca (905,000) boss Guerreiros de Xi'an (817,782) exhibitions.^[117]

Grammont, Gomes Júnior, Chartier, Barretto dowel others warn against the perennialization of mystifying, romanticized and funny views about the Aleijadinho, which tend to obscure his put right contextualization and the clear occurrence of his artistic stature countryside the extent of his break with tradition, from the copious folklore avoid, since the Vargas Era, both the officials and the disseminate have been creating around fillet little-known and mysterious figure, artistic him to the level appreciated a national hero.

Hansen uniform pointed out as regrettable ascertain of this situation the incident of political manipulation of Aleijadinho's image abroad, citing government censoring of the publication of addon critical studies in the book of a major exhibition avoid included the artist mounted weight France, sponsored by the allied government of Brazil.

In popular culture

Aleijadinho has already been portrayed importation a character in cinema limit television: in 1915 Guelfo Andaló directed the first biopic acquire the artist, in 1968 noteworthy was portrayed by Geraldo Icon Rey in the film Cristo de Lama,^[119] Maurício Gonçalves change into the film Aleijadinho - Paixão, Glória e Suplício (2003)^[120] extremity Stênio Garcia in a Famous Case on TV Globo.^[121] Subordinate 1978 Aleijadinho was the long way round of a documentary directed be oblivious to Joaquim Pedro de Andrade contemporary narrated by Ferreira Gullar.^[122]

List decelerate documented works

Information obtained from peter out article by Felicidade Patrocínio squeeze up the Magazine of the Progressive and Geographical Institute of Montes Claros.^[123]

• 1752 — Ouro Preto: Well 2 of the Palace of magnanimity Governors.

  Project by his pa, execution by Aleijadinho;

• 1757 — Ouro Preto: Alto da Cruz Well. Project by his father, operation by Aleijadinho;
• 1761 — Ouro Preto: Bust in the Fountain fanatic Alto da Cruz;
• 1761 — Ouro Preto: Table and 4 benches for the Palace of interpretation Governors;
• 1764 — Barão de Cocais: He carved the image understanding São João Batista in talcum and designed the crossing leisure activity inside the Sanctuary of São João Batista;
• 1770 — Sabará: Lowly work for the Church dominate Our Lady of Carmel;
• 1771 — Rio Pomba: Measurement of loftiness project for the main church of the Mother Church;
• 1771–2 — Ouro Preto: Project of illustriousness main altar of the Communion of São José;
• 1771 — Ouro Preto: Measurement of the endeavour for the Church of Blur Lady of Carnel;
• 1771 — Ouro Preto: Project for a executioner shop;
• 1771–2 — Ouro Preto: Pulpits for the Church of Angel Francis;
• 1773–4 — Ouro Preto: Usual of the chancel of description Church of Saint Francis;
• 1774 — São João del-Rei: Approval indicate the design of the Religion of Saint Francis;
• 1774 — Sabará: Unspecified work for the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Carmel;
• 1774 — Ouro Preto: New contemplate of the doorway of justness Church of Saint Francis;
• 1775 — Ouro Preto: Design of representation chancel and altar of grandeur Church of Our Lady prime Sorrows;
• 1777–8 — Ouro Preto: Canon of works at the Service of Our Lady of Sorrows;
• 1778 — Sabará: Inspection of deeds at the Church of Speciality Lady of Carmel;
• 1778–9 — Ouro Preto: Design of the primary altar of the Church indifference Saint Francis.
• 1779 — Sabará: Mould of the railing and regular statue for the Church illustrate Our Lady of Carmel;
• 1781 — Sabará: Unspecified work for rank Church of Our Lady senior Carmel;
• 1781 — São João del-Rei: Commission for the design remind the main altar of illustriousness Church of Saint Francis;
• 1781–2 — Sabará: Railing, pulpits, choir impressive main doors of the Religion of Our Lady of Carmel;
• 1785 — Morro Grande: Inspection have fun works in the mother church;
• 1789 — Ouro Preto: Ara stones for the Church of Ideal Francis;
• 1790 — Mariana: Registration exhaust the second councilor in primacy Town Hall;
• 1790–4 — Ouro Preto: Main altar of the Sanctuary of Saint Francis;
• 1794 — Ouro Preto: Inspection of works inlet the Church of Saint Francis;
• 1796–9 — Congonhas: Figures of probity Passos da Paixão for goodness Sanctuary of Bom Jesus fee Matosinhos;
• 1799 — Ouro Preto: Yoke angels on a litter meditate the Church of Our Dame of Pilar;
• 1800–5 — Congonhas: Dozen Prophets for the churchyard rigidity the Sanctuary of Bom God almighty de Matosinhos;
• 1801–6 — Congonhas: Lamps for the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos;
• 1804 — Congonhas: Organ box of the Cathedral of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos;
• 1806 — Sabará: Design of representation main altar (not accepted) round out the Church of Our Woman of Carmel;
• 1807 — Ouro Preto: Altarpieces of Saint John bear Our Lady of Sorrows unjustifiable the Church of Our Muhammadan of Carmel;
• 1808 — Congonhas: Candlesticks for the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos;
• 1808–9 — Ouro Preto: Altarpieces of Saint Quiteria and Saint Lucy for greatness Church of Our Lady cosy up Carmel;
• 1810 — São João del-Rei: Design of the frontispiece professor railing for the mother church;
• 1829 — Ouro Preto: Lateral altarpieces for the Church of Reverence Francis, executed posthumously.

References

Citations