Tarsila Do Amaral

With the use of cubist elements and iconography, Tarsila do Amaral aims to communicate through her artwork, A Negra (1923), the reality experienced by Africans in Brazil during the 20th century. Tarsila do Amaral (1886-1973) was a Brazilian painter, daughter of farmers that became one of the most important modernists in Brazil. Her artwork A Negra was painted while Tarsila was studying in Paris with the cubist artist Fernand Léger (1881-1955). This painting became important, and it was considered the first effective incarnation of the Brazilian culture in a painting. The main subject of the painting is an African woman that could be associated with the Africans that lived in Brazil during the period of Empire (1822-1889) when they were explored
This woman, looking sad and exhausted is an icon for Tarsila. Tarsila’s father was a rich farmer, and he had descendants of African slaves working as nannies, taking care of his children. The painting is also a throwback to the colonial past, with which the slavery period happened, rooted in the farms of the interior of Brazil. The representation of the African woman emphasizes the emotional relationship of the artist with his subject, suggesting a possible iconographic source since at that time the Africans were not retracted in paintings in the same way as the Europeans. The African slaves were seen as inferiors, or often, not even human. However, Tarsila’s emphasis on the woman’s emotions shows her emotional connection with the
This fact is easily identifiable by the giant banana leaf in a semi-curved diagonal that intertwines the figure of the woman. The subject retracted is different from what was normally seen in paintings during the 20th century. The woman escapes from the European standards of beauty, devoicing of long and slightly curly hair, which was a tradition or modern at that time. Her thick lips also prevent her from being approximate to the simple and sweet look one would expect from an academic female figure. The woman retracted refuses to be “whitened” by the society, she is a symbol of her people and Tarsila retracts her the way she is, naked and free from the influences of European culture.
The seated figure looks serious and does not seem to feel disturbed by our presence. The crossed arms and thick legs, give her a stiff look, like a still image looking at you and reminding of the past. The sad look seems to invoke sadness, melancholy and pessimism, factors which many blacks came to die. At the time, it received the name of Banzo and it is now known as a feeling of nostalgia and melancholy that the Africans felt since they were far from their native land. Banzo led many Africans to death or they would disrespect their masters and be killed by