Tarsila de Aguiar do Amaral

Tarsila do Amaral was a Brazilian painter who blended local Brazilian content with international avant-garde aesthetics. She is considered one of the leading Latin American modernist artists, and is regarded as the painter who best achieved Brazilian aspirations for nationalistic expression in a modern style. She was a member of the Grupo dos Cinco (Group of Five), which included Anita Malfatti, Menotti Del Picchia, Mário de Andrade, and Oswald de Andrade. She was instrumental in the formation of the aesthetic movement, Antropofagia (1928–1929); in fact, Tarsila was the one with her celebrated painting, Abaporu, who inspired Oswald de Andrade's famous Manifesto Antropófago. She also mingled with some of the most influential cultural icons in Paris, such as Blaise Cendrars, Jean Cocteau, Picasso, and Brancusi. Tarsila's paintings are characterized by stylized forms, vibrant colors, and tropical motifs. She depicted Brazilian culture, landscapes, and people in a unique and original way, creating a visual language that expressed her vision of a modern and independent Brazil. Some of her most famous works are The Negress (1923), A Cuca (1924), The Moon (1928), and The City (1929). Tarsila died on January 17, 1973, in São Paulo, Brazil, at the age of 86. She left behind a legacy of artistic innovation and cultural identity that continues to inspire generations of Brazilian artists and admirers.