Handwritten letter from Candido Portinari (1945)

"I've been working a little, but now I'm going to start."

Unpublished handwritten letter from Candido Portinari to Marques Rebelo. One page. 21cm x 28.2cm. In Portuguese. Brodowski, February 1st, 1945. Excellent condition, upper left corner burned (no damage to the text). Single piece.

Brodowski. 1 - 2 - [1]945

Dear Marques

I received your letter / it was a pleasant surprise to learn / that you are going to Buenos Aires / to take an exhibition of / painting and that old Santos / is also participating. The day where / the two are / I go in / even without knowing what / it is for. That's why you can / count that at the end of / March you will have my / contribution. / I've been working a little / but now I'm going to start / working. / If you want to jump / here it will give pleasure to / all Portinaris. / Regards from Mary and everyone / to you all. Hug from your / old Portinari (signed)

There are some names that mark generations, some, perhaps, that write the history of a country, but few are those that become recognized for their cultural contributions beyond geographic 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 the painter Candido Portinari (1903 - 1962), author of more than 500 works of art, including War and Peace, on display 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. The artistic vocation already emerged during childhood, still young, Portinari abandoned his studies, and at the age of 14 he joined a troupe of Italian painters and sculptors. Already at 16, he decided to bet all the chips on his talent, 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, with prizes, trips and international exhibitions that made the artist explore the world. One of these exhibitions took place at the MNBA, in 1954, in Buenos Aires, organized by Marques Rebelo, a writer recognized for his literary work and for being a promoter of 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, “even without knowing what he is for”, which demonstrates great confidence on the part of the artist. In the letter, Portinari also reveals details of his life and invites Marques for a visit, would they be, in addition to their obvious artistic affinities, good friends? Portinari's affectionate embrace at the end of his missive seems to indicate yes.

Although Portinari accepted the invitation without hesitation, the year 1945 was a troubled period in the life of the painter, active in the party-political movement. In that year, Portinari ran for federal deputy for the Brazilian Communist Party. He was not elected either on that occasion, or in 1947, when he ran again, this time for the position of senator, nevertheless, such political tenacity led him to exile in Uruguay in 1948 after a series of threats.

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

Cards by Candido Portinari are extremely rare, this is the first one that we present in the Glórias collection.