The Newcomers of Yesterday: Behaviors and Strategies for Promoting Modern Art in the Brazilian First Republic

• Grant number: 25/04679-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Arts - Art Fundamentals and Criticism
• Principal Investigator: Ana Paula Cavalcanti Simioni
• Grantee: João Victor Rossetti Brancato
• Host Institution: Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros (IEB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research investigates the behaviors and strategies employed by Rio de Janeiro-based artists in defining and promoting modern art during the First Brazilian Republic. It is grounded in a historiographical approach that acknowledges multiple modernisms in Brazil, focusing on the period from 1890 to 1922 - from the foundation of the National School of Fine Arts to the São Paulo Week of Modern Art. The study explores the collective agency of artists who embraced bohemian behaviors and values during this period in Rio de Janeiro. It seeks to understand how figures in the artistic field advocated or disseminated concepts, behaviors, and practices aligned with modern artistic values both before and alongside the so-called modernists. By emphasizing the social interactions and public stances of these artists, rather than solely focusing on an examination of their artworks, the research intends to consider alternative frameworks for understanding Brazil's modern art history, like the political and moral positions of certain artists, their attitudes in both the artistic and public spheres, and their participation in associations to build reputations and promote modern values. The study aims to contribute to overcoming the "academics" vs. "modernists" historiographical dichotomy. Primary sources include art critiques, press articles, and the private archives of artists and intellectuals, housed in public and private collections across Brazil.