Cândido Torquato Portinari

Brazilian painter, drawer and engraver. 1903-1962, was born at Brodósqui, São Paulo and died at Rio de Janeiro. One of the main brazilian painters, an italian immigrants son, started on painting still at childhood, as an auxiliary to the restorers of his home town church.

In 1918 Cândido applied for the painting course of the Escola Nacional de Belas-Artes, receiving guidance from Rodolfo Amoedo and Lucílio Albuquerque. Won the gold medal at the Salão Nacional de Belas-Artes in 1928, a prize which rewarded Portinari with a trip to Europe. Arriving there, Cândido Torquato fixed residence at Paris. He then decided to visit England, Spain and Italy, a tour in which Torquato Portinari lasted for two years.

The excursion the painter made to Europe got him in contact with a variety of painting works of great masters. It also contributed in the sense of getting Portinari to know the work of the Italian Primitivists and renaissancists. At Europe, the artist also met various modern movements.

When back to Brazil in 1931, Cândido Torquato Portinari teached at the Escola Nacional de Belas-Artes during the period in which Lúcio Costa administrated the school. He also wins a mention on the Carnegie Prize, Pittsburgh, in 1935

Inspired by the Mexican Muralist movement, Cândido created several murals and, between the years of 1930 to 1945, under the Getúlio Vargas' goverment period, Portinari was titled pintor nacional(national painter), having teached painting at the Distrito Federal university. After this point, he realized expositions over Brazil as well as at the New York's modern art museum and at Detroit's art museum.

In the 40s, Cândido adhered social expressionism. Also, from 1948 and forth, he painted Brazilian historical themes and a panel for the UN headquarters at New York. In the end of his life, Cândido Torquato dedicated to portraying, religious/spiritual themes and to the theme of Cangaço.

The Portinari's work distinguishes for the image's rhetoric and for the mix of diverse art moments, from Renaissance element to Cubist influence. His aim was to form a true Brazilian painting style and to turn art in a way of social participation/expression.

Ironically, Portinari's main decease reason has been credited to intoxication caused by misuse of dyes.

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