Tarsila do Amaral

Tarsila do Amaral
Photograph of Tarsila do Amaral, ca. 1925
Born	(1886-09-01)September 1, 1886 Capivari, Empire of Brazil
Died	January 17, 1973(1973-01-17) (aged 86) São Paulo, Brazil
Resting place	Consolação Cemetery, São Paulo
Nationality	Brazilian
Known for	Semana de Arte Moderna Abaporu
Style	Modernist
Movement	Antropofagia

Tarsila do Amaral, (Portuguese pronunciation: [ taɾ. ' si.la du ' a.ma.ɾaw] September 1, 1886 – January 17, 1973), known simply as Tarsila, is considered to be one of the leading Latin American modernist artists, described as "the Brazilian painter who best achieved Brazilian aspirations for nationalistic expression in a modern style." She was a member of the "Grupo dos Cinco" (Group of Five), which was a group of five Brazilian artists who are considered the biggest influence in the modern art movement in Brazil. The other members of the "Grupo dos Cinco" are Anita Malfatti, Menotti Del Picchia, Mário de Andrade, and Oswald de Andrade. Tarsila was also instrumental in the formation of the Antropofagia Movement (1928-1929); she was in fact the one who inspired Oswald de Andrade's famous "Cannibal Manifesto".

Tarsila do Amaral rata was born in Capivari, a small town in the countryside of the state of São Paulo. She was born to a wealthy family of farmers and landowners who grew coffee. Despite coming from a well-to-do family, Tarsila had her family's support towards superior education: at that time, women were not encouraged to seek higher education (especially if they came from rich families and had everything they needed). As a teenager, Tarsila and her parents traveled to Spain, where Tarsila caught people's eyes by drawing and painting copies of the artwork she saw at her school's archives.

Beginning in 1916, Tarsila studied sculpture in São Paulo with Zadig and Montavani. Later she studied drawing and painting with the academic painter Pedro Alexandrino. These were all respected but conservative teachers. In 1920, she moved to Paris and studied at the Académie Julian and with Emile Renard. The Brazilian art world was conservative, and travels to Europe provided students with a broader education in the areas of art, culture, and society. At this time, her influences and art remained conservative.

Returning to São Paulo in 1922, Tarsila was exposed to many things after meeting Anita Malfatti, Oswald de Andrade, Mário de Andrade, and Menotti Del Picchia. Prior to her arrival in São Paulo from Europe, the group had organized the Semana de Arte Moderna ("Week of Modern Art") during the week of February 11–18, 1922. The event was pivotal in the development of modernism in Brazil. The participants were interested in changing the conservative artistic establishment in Brazil by encouraging a distinctive mode of modern art. Tarsila was asked to join the movement and together they became the Grupo dos Cinco, which sought to promote Brazilian culture, the use of styles that were not specifically European, and the inclusion of things that were indigenous to Brazil.