2004 Bridges Summer Research Report Drew Propson Spanish and Portuguese "Brazilian Modernism: Landscapes, Cityscapes, and National Identity"

The Robert and Alice Bridges Field Research Grant that I received in May 2004 enabled me to continue my research in Brazilian literature and painting this past summer. This work has complemented my current studies of contemporary Hispanic American literature, and will be extremely useful to me in the near future as Brazilian literature is one of the collateral fields of study I have chosen for my qualifying exam. My other collateral field, 19th and 20th Century Visual Arts and Visual Cultures, is also clearly related. I will be taking the exam this fall. With this funding I was able to realize my academic goals for the summer, traveling to Brazil for further research on my project Brazilian Modernism: Literature, Painting, and National Identity.

View of Sugarloaf and Botafogo - Rio de Janeiro

Painting and the visual arts are an integral part of the Modernist movement in Brazil. From its inception in 1922 with the Semana de Arte Moderna (Week of Modern Art) in São Paulo, Modernism has been embraced by painters and authors alike. One of the defining qualities of this period is a search for what it means to be Brazilian. This challenge to define a national identity is reflected in the works of painters such as Tarsila do Amaral, Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, Cândido Portinari, and Anita Malfatti. The work of two of the main literary figures of the Semana de Arte Moderna, Mário de Andrade and Oswald de Andrade, also manifests these characteristics.

My trip to Brazil this summer was fundamental to further researching the works by these writers and painters and their relationship to Modernist ideals. I spent three and a half weeks in Rio de Janeiro and one week in São Paulo where I had access to the necessary resources to realize my project. The Academia Brasileira de Letras in Rio de Janeiro has an invaluable collection of works that celebrate Brazilian literature and reveal its social, political and scientific importance. In addition, there are many notable art museums in both Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo that enabled me to observe a great number of works by the four visual artists previously mentioned.

Memorial da América Latina - São Paulo

I was particularly fascinated by the Museu de Arte de São Paulo which houses, amongst other modernist works, a stunning collection of paintings by Cândido Portinari. These large canvases clearly display the influence of the Mexican muralists on Portinari with their political nature as well as their technique. This is a particularly intriguing relationship, as it was important for the Mexican artists of the period to exclude outside influences in their search for national identity, while at the same time these influences were welcomed in Brazil as an integral part of identity explorations. Another important work by Portinari, his mural Tiradentes, is displayed at the Memorial da Ámerica Latina. Viewing this painting was a truly moving experience; the large work exposes candidly the violence and loss in Brazil’s problematic history. The setting is very appropriate: a series of buildings designed by Oscar Niemeyer, Brazil’s most celebrated architect and the designer of its capital city, Brasilia. Other museums of particular note are the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes in Rio de Janeiro and the Museu de Arte Contemporânea in São Paulo where many additional significant paintings by Brazilian Modernists are exhibited. The importance of viewing these works in person cannot be overemphasized; I feel this opportunity has helped me to gain a much more complete understanding of the artistic trends that flourished during the Modernist movement.

Museu de Arte Contemporânea ­ Niterói

Perhaps the most important aspect of my visit was simply being immersed in Brazilian culture. Nothing was more educational than this intimate, first-hand experience. It was truly astounding to observe how the wealthy and the underprivileged live literally side by side, often without major conflict. Another edifying exposure was that of the natural flora of Brazil, which holds a big role in cityscapes as well as rural landscapes. As manifest in many Modernist paintings and literary works, this vegetation along with regional geology is an integral part of the soul of Brazil. The incorporation of nature into every day life is extremely evident.
In sum, my work in Brazil this summer has been educational on many fronts. I not only learned a great deal about Modernist painting and literature, but also gained immensely from the many personal interactions during my day-to-day activities. These constantly offered me a glimpse at Brazilian culture. I am sincerely grateful for this opportunity I was given. My research in Brazil has been an invaluable supplement to my recent studies and I plan to use the findings of this research to expand on my current areas of concentration in my dissertation.

Rocinha ­ Brazil’s largest favela - Rio de Janeiro