Pedro Américo: youth, education, career

Pedro Americo was a renowned Brazilian artist who stood out, at the end of the 19th century, for his paintings, especially those that portrayed major events in Brazilian history during the Paraguay War. Among the main works of this painter from Paraíba are: Battle of Campo Grande, Battle of Avaí and Independence or death!.

Accessalso: The causes of the Paraguay War

Youth

Pedro Américo de Figueiredo e Melo was born in the city of Areia, in the state of Paraíba, on April 29, 1843. came from a family that had a strong connection with the arts., since his father, Daniel Eduardo de Figueiredo, was a violinist musician. Pedro Américo's father also worked as a merchant, and his family didn't have many resources.

From a very early age, Pedro Américo showed an enormous talent for painting, and, in fact, he became one of the great Brazilian painters.[1]

His mother was called Feliciana Cirne, and the future painter was brother of another artist well known in the 19th century, Francisco Aurélio de Figueiredo e Melo

, who was also a painter. This strong connection between Pedro América and the arts was very much instigated by his father, and, since childhood, he showed a great talent for painting.

His talent was such that, at the age of nine, he was invited to participate in an expedition from a French naturalist called Louis Jacques Brunnet, who traveled by North East performing artistic work. This trip was a gateway to opportunities that changed Pedro Américo's life.

artistic training

In 1854, Pedro Américo managed to pass the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts (Aiba), the most important artistic institution in Brazil in the 19th century. He was approved, but before starting his studies at this institution, he complemented his school education by studying for a period at the Pedro II College, in Rio de Janeiro.

The reports about the student Pedro Américo tell that he was dedicated. In 1856, he was able, in fact, to start his studies at Aiba, being considered one of the best students at the institution. His application and dedication to becoming an artist earned him a trip to Europe to improve your studies.

The trip was entirely financed by emperor d. Pedro II, with the condition that Pedro Américo send his works to Brazil, to prove his advances in the European continent. He settled in Paris and enrolled at the École des Beaux-Arts (School of Fine Arts).

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In addition to being a great artist, Pedro Américo was a scholar, so he took advantage of his time in Paris and studied physics, archeology, and Bachelor's Degree in Social Sciences from the Sorbonne, one of the leading universities in France. From 1863 onwards, his financial situation became more comfortable after he received a pension from the province of Paraíba.

In 1864, he returned to Brazil at the emperor's request and participated in a competition to become teacher at Aiba. He won the competition, being appointed professor of that institution, but he graduated quickly, since, from 1865, he started a trip through Europe and north of Africa.

In 1868 he obtained the title of PhD in Natural Sciences from the University of Brussels. During this period, Pedro Américo made a living from the paintings he produced and put up for sale.

Accessalso: Brazil in Frans Post's painting

Professional career

In 1871, Pedro Américo painted the “Battle of Campo Grande”, a work that reinforced his national name.[1]

In 1870, he returned to Brazil and arrived here married to Carlota de Araújo Porto-Alegre, daughter of Manuel de Araújo Porto-Alegre, Brazilian diplomat in Lisbon. Here he started to teach at Aiba, in addition to work at the Imperial and National museums and produce cartoons for newspapers.

At Aiba, Pedro Américo taught the subjects of archeology, aesthetics and art history. During this period, he knew how to take advantage of the strong nationalism existing in the country due to the Paraguayan War and made paintings that became quite recognized, such as:

• Battle of Campo Grande: depicts the battle in which the Paraguayan army was formed mostly by children and teenagers, resulting in a real massacre conducted by Brazilian troops. Produced in 1871.
• Throne talk: represents the emperor d. Pedro II speaking at the opening of the General Assembly, the ceremony that brought together the Senate and Chamber of Deputies annually. It was produced in 1872.

Pedro Américo's works, in the first half of the 1870s, gave him national recognition. The painting of Battle of Campo Grande, for example, earned him the decoration of the Order of the Rose, given by the emperor himself. Later, Pedro Américo sold this work for 13 contos.

Internationally, he already enjoyed a certain reputation. In that same decade, the painter carried out one of his most recognized works, which had enormous repercussions, both in Brazil and in Europe.

• battle of Hawaii

The Battle of Avaí is a painting that has 50 square meters, being one of the most famous by Pedro Américo.[1]

The painting Battle of Avaí was made by Pedro Americo in Florence, Italy, between the years 1874 and 1877. This work depicts one of the most famous battles of the Paraguayan War, the Battle of Avaí, in which Brazilian troops expelled Paraguayan troops from the banks of the Avaí River. This work of art was a request of the Brazilian monarchy itself to Pedro Americo.

This agreement between the painter and the monarchy took place on August 19, 1872, and in it Pedro Américo was to "compose a picture of the subject of the country's history"|1|. The work has gigantic dimensions, with a total of 50 square meters, being 500 cm x 1000 cm.

In March 1877, the work was exhibited in Florence, receiving great attention from the local press. The painting arrived in Brazil at the end of that year and was sold to the Brazilian government for the sum of 53 contos de réis, despite having been valued at 115 contos de réis.

Accessalso: Five fun facts about the independence of Brazil

Last years

In addition to paintings, Pedro Américo also wrote. In 1889, the change of Brazil's political regime to a republic made him go dismissed from his role at Aiba. Before the end of the monarchy, Pedro Américo also made a great painting in a contract with the state of São Paulo. it is about the Independence or death!, which portrays the independence in 1822.

In 1893 he painted Tiradentes, who had become a hero among the republicans who overthrew the monarchy in 1889. This painting became known as quartered tiradentes, depicting the execution of the hero in 1792. In 1890, Pedro Américo assumed position as deputy, but had limited performance because of his health.

In 1894, Pedro Américo moved permanently to Florence, and there he lived his last years. On October 7, 1905, he died in the Italian city, victim of the “lead colic”, disease caused by contact with paints, highly toxic. Her body was transported to Areia, where it is still buried today.

Note

|1| SCHWARCZ, Lilia Moritz. The Battle of Avaí – the beauty of barbarism: the Paraguayan War painted by Pedro Américo. Rio de Janeiro: Sextant, 2013. P. 22.

Image credits:

[1] commons

By Daniel Neves
History teacher