SÃO PAULO, BRAZIL – Francisca Manuela Valadão is one of the featured artists. Although she was a prominent painter from the Imperial era, who took part in several art salons, there is little to no record of her works.
One of her remaining paintings is part of this week’s exhibition at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP). Under the title “Women’s Histories: Artists before 1900”, the exhibition seeks to address female productions in painting and fabric that were left out of most history books.
“This erasure, in retrospect, was done a lot, especially in the 20th century,” says the museum’s assistant curator, Mariana Leme, about how works produced by once-famous names have been forgotten over the years.
According to the researcher, the historical disappearance takes place even in cases where the artists were recognized in life. “In books from the Renaissance, they are mentioned as exceptional cases, but what matters is that they are mentioned. In texts related to art criticism from the 17th, 18th, and even 19th centuries, works by women artists are still mentioned”, she points out.
Recognized and then forgotten
Sofonisba Anguissola, an Italian painter who lived between the 16th and 17th centuries, was even mentioned in the chronicles of Giorgio Vasari, who is considered one of the first art historians. “She was praised by Michelangelo at the time. Receiving a compliment from Michelangelo is no mean feat”, adds Mariana about the elements that prove the artist’s relevance.
French artist Vigée-Lebrun is another name that held great importance. However, she has not been as visible in art history narratives. “She came to hold the position of first court painter of Marie Antoinette. In other words, the highest position of the most important court in Europe in the 18th century”, emphasizes the curator.
In addition to the sixty paintings, the exhibition features 34 fabric works, including some produced in the Andes before the Spanish invasion.
Mariana states that female hands made most pieces. “In the case of pre-Columbian fabrics in the Andes, they also had a prestigious role in society because fabrics are used in temples and important places,” she says.
According to the curator, the erasure applied to this kind of production is due to theories that perceive handicrafts as a lesser form of art.
In a parallel exhibition, you can also see at MASP “Feminist Histories”, which features the production of thirty artists born in the last three decades of the 20th century. The exhibition seeks to explore how feminism impacted in different ways the artistic output of recent years. Names such as Virginia Medeiros, Pakistani Rabbya Naseer, and Israeli Yael Bartana are part of the exhibition.
You can visit both exhibitions until November 17th. The MASP is located on Paulista Avenue, the central region of the capital. Admission is free on Tuesdays from 10 AM to 8 PM. From Wednesday to Sunday, it is open from 10 AM to 6 PM.