Guilherme d’Oliveira Marques

By LatAm ARTE

Guilherme d’Oliveira Marques was a Brazilian painter, sculptor, and printmaker born on October 12, 1887, in Rio de Janeiro. Of Portuguese descent, he trained in the National School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, and later developed a style influenced by modern European movements as well as Brazilian everyday life and landscapes. In 1927, he moved to Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) in what is today the Democratic Republic of Congo, where he lived and worked for many years. There he captured market scenes, rural life, portraits, and vibrant urban dynamics with oil, etching, prints, and sketches, bringing a sensitive eye to different cultures and people. His works often show strong color, bold composition, and empathy for his subjects. After his time abroad, he influenced Brazilian art through his depictions of daily life both in Africa and in Brazil. He passed away on May 15, 1960, leaving behind a rich body of work that bridges continents and cultures, vivid scenes, and a legacy of cross-cultural artistic vision.