How "Abaporu" Was Essential to Building Brazil's National Identity

Brazilian historian and anthropologist Lilia Moritz Schwarcz spoke about the iconic work by Tarsila do Amaral, now at Malba.
Abaporu, by Tarsila do Amaral, has established itself as one of the most recognizable emblems of Brazilian modernism and, at the same time, as a starting point for reflection on national identity and the construction of cultural myths.
This was stated in her presentation by Brazilian historian and anthropologist Lilia Moritz Schwarcz at the home of the work, the Museum of Latin American Art of Buenos Aires (Malba), as part of the celebrations for the 24th anniversary of the Buenos Aires-based exhibition.

The lecture was introduced by Anna Di Stasi, senior vice president and director of Latin American art at Sotheby's, who reflected on the recognition and appreciation of Brazilian modernism and its consolidation in the market.
For Moritz Schwarcz, Abaporu is a rare example, as it simultaneously names a work and baptizes a cultural movement, “becoming a symbol of Brazilian modernism.”
The origin of the painting's title, as well as its meaning, lies in the relationship between Tarsila do Amaral and Oswald de Andrade. Schwarcz explained that “the idea of titling the canvas ‘Abaporu’ came from Oswald himself, who gave the work a Tupi-Guarani origin, meaning ‘man who eats’: aba (man) and poru (one who eats people).” This name not only christened the work, but also inspired the 1928 Mantropofago Manifesto, a fundamental text for artistic and cultural modernity in Brazil.
The painting, with its distorted forms and intense colors, became a visual manifesto. Schwarcz explained that “with its distorted proportions—a small head, thin arms, but enormous feet and hands—the painting sought to reinforce Brazilians' connection to the land, based on the large green cactus and, in the background, an intense yellow sun.”

This composition, simultaneously simple and complex, is part of the artist's “anthropophagic moment,” along with other works such as Anthropophagy (1929), The Moon (1928), and The Lake (1928).
Read more