"I have been working little, but now I will start."

• Unpublished handwritten letter from Cândido Portinari to Marques Rebelo.
• One sheet, one page.
• +/- 21 cm x 28 cm.
• In Portuguese.
• Brodowski's writings in 1945.
• Excellent condition of conservation.
• Single set.

Excerpt from the letter

Brodowski. 1 - 2 - [1]945

Dear Marques,

I received your letter and it was a / pleasant surprise to know / that you are going to Buenos Aires / to take a painting exhibition and that old Santos / is also participating. The day / you both are I will go in / even without knowing / what it is for. That is why you can / count on my / contribution at the end of / March. / I have worked little / but now I will start / to work. / If you want to pop over / here it will give pleasure to / all the Portinaris. / Regards from Maria and everyone / to you all. Hugs from your / old Portinari (signed)

There are some names that mark generations; some, perhaps, that write the history of a country. However, few are those who become recognized for their cultural contributions beyond geographical borders. These people transform humanity and create forms of expression that define the world after their passing. It is not difficult to remember some examples: Leonardo Da Vinci, Virginia Woolf, Marie Curie. However, which Brazilian personality would we think of for this list?

Perhaps one of the first names that comes to mind is that of the painter Cândido Portinari (1903 - 1962), author of more than 500 works of art, among which is “War and Peace”, exhibited at the United Nations Headquarters in New York since 1956. Portinari was born on a coffee farm in the city of Brodowski, in the interior of São Paulo, in 1903. His artistic vocation emerged during his childhood. While still young, Portinari dropped out of school and, at the age of 14, joined a troupe of Italian painters and sculptors. At the age of 16, he decided to put all his chips on his talent: he left São Paulo and moved to Rio de Janeiro to study at the National School of Fine Arts.

From then on, Portinari's career took off. Awards, trips and international exhibitions led the artist to explore the world. One of these exhibitions took place at the MNBA in Buenos Aires in 1954, organized by Marques Rebelo, a writer renowned for his literary work and for promoting Brazilian painting and literature abroad. The letter signed by Portinari and addressed to Marques reveals that participating in such an exhibition was a pleasant surprise for the painter. Portinari stated that wherever Marques was, he would be there “even without knowing what he was there for”, which demonstrates great trust on the part of the artist. In the letter, Portinari also reveals details of his life and invites Marques to visit. In addition to their obvious artistic affinities, were they good friends? Portinari's affectionate embrace at the end of his letter seems to indicate that they were.

A painter with strong ideals expressed in his work, which portrays the miscegenation and daily life of Brazil, Portinari, the son of Italian immigrants, showed the world the peculiarities and strength of the Brazilian people, of whom he was a great defender. His passion for painting cost him his life; the artist died due to poisoning caused by the paints he used in his paintings. Portinari lived his love to the bitter end and taught that a great artist can come from the most humble origins and still reach the most distant corners of the world through his dedication and talent.

Letters by Candido Portinari are extremely rare; this handwritten letter is the first we present.