In this artwork, how is the Historical context discussed?
Batalha dos Guararapes painting is set in the imperial period of Brazil, more specifically in the second reign of Dom Pedro II, produced a few years after the end of the Paraguayan War. The painting is in tune with a desire brought about by the period, a political-ideological-cultural project affirmed by the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts together with the Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute, which was concerned with the construction of a visual Brazilian nationality that incorporated images of the past with struggles and heroes.There was, in the Brazil of the Second Empire, the need for a new political legitimization, since the region now had more independence from Portugal and, at this moment, the great stories of national formation gained importance and notoriety.The Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro received several artistic manifestations, such as neoclassicism, impressionism and romanticism, especially between the 1850s and 1920s, fitting Meirelles' works into the latter aesthetic, since he was part of the first generation of national romantic painters, along with Pedro Américo, Almeida Junior, Rodolfo Amoedo, Henrique Bernardelli and others. Despite being appropriately characterized as a work of Brazilian romanticism, this current in Brazil greatly diluted and softened the passionate radicalism of the first Romantics, considered unseemly and unsuitable for the purposes of the State, besides being marked by a great eclecticism, incorporating a variety of influences from other schools. In the case of Meirelles and Batalha, Baroque and especially Neoclassical influences are noted. The first school, much studied by the artist in his formative period, is noted in the strong contrasts of light and shadow and in the predominance of color over drawing, elements that were recovered already by the early Romantics, and the second, in the balanced, rational, and undramatic organization of the scene. For Jorge Coli, trying to fit Meirelles' style into a specific school can be quite misleading, and tends to hinder the understanding of the complex context in which the painting emerged.It is a time, above all, in which Brazil chooses its most memorable moments and exposes them to the world, in a theatrical way, in vibrant colors by the hands of its best artists. These painters, following the romantic aesthetic, strove to produce commemorative scenes in such a way as to direct the viewer's gaze to specific frames. By representing the past, Meirelles had a strong influence on the creation of the present and the future, because in a certain way he created, from images, what could be known about the history of the country. This is the pedagogy of his works and his intentions in relation to the way in which the Brazilian nation was organized, guided by a civilizing perspective. Through works that fed a collective memory, it was possible for the viewer to relate individual stories.
Painters such as Meirelles, one of the most sought after and considered one of the greatest expressions of 19th century academic art in Brazil, when feeding the idea of national identity in the Batalha dos Guararapes, had control not only of the looks to the past, but also of the projections of what would be the future of a country, together with the State, which was a contractor for these producers and commissioned these memories. In particular this combat, which occurred on April 19, 1648, was chosen by the author because it represents the feeling of patriotism, defeating his enemy with courage and bravery.On the memorable day of April 19, 1648, destined to mark another triumph in testimony to how much the ardor and patriotism of a people can, wounded in their pride and that, firm in the true justice of the cause they defend, and by the faith with which they fight, they know they are victorious; the two armies were found facing each other for a fierce fight.In portraying the Battle of Guarapes, he turns the battle itself into a mere backdrop for a scene in which a communion takes place between the past and the values of the present such as honor, patriotism, knowledge. This relationship of values with the past outlines a civilization composed in a commemoration. In this way, the 19th century is understood as guided by romanticism, with an aesthetic that guides the creation of the scenes. The success of the cultural policy propagated through his works can be identified if we analyze the popular reactions they caused, as well as their incorporation in national history textbooks. The paintings Batalha dos Guararapes and Batalha do Avai are part of a moment in which representations of glorious actions are becoming more frequent. With the Paraguayan War, starting in the 1870s, there was a change in relation to the figure that represented the hero. Previously the figure of the monarch, now anonymous heroes were also painted.
In depicting the Battle of Guararapes, I did not have in mind the fact of the battle, in the raw and ferocious aspect itself. For me, the battle was not that, it was a happy encounter, where the heroes of that time were all reunited. The "Guararapes" canvas is a debt of honor that we had to pay with knowledge, in memory of the valor and patriotism of those men. My end was all noble and the highest: it was necessary to treat that subject as a true historical picture, at the height that history deservedly consecrates that handful of patriots, which is recognized as their right.With the Paraguayan War, a founding myth of the Brazilian nation was fed, based on a patriotism inherited from the victory of this combat. Thus, Meirelles' work received as one of its intentions, the reproduction of this idea: to report the union of white, indigenous and black people who came together in order to maintain national sovereignty. At the time the painting was made, one of the Empire's concerns was precisely the construction of this idea of union throughout the Brazilian nation. Another intention of the paintings commissioned in this period was to motivate the Brazilian population to forget the evils of war, because, even though they were victorious, they had lost many soldiers and still accounted for the losses.
The scene portrayed in the painting was the consequence of an exhausting past for many people from Pernambuco, victims of the tyranny of the Dutch invasions in 1648. The frequent oppression and Desecration generated complaints and a feeling of revolt among Brazilians. For their legitimate rights and for the end of the Dutch exploitation, all classes gathered, generating an army of black, indigenous and white people. Thus, one can see in the painting, the joint presence of the leader of the indigenous, Filipe Camarão, the leader of the black, tshi and creoles, Henrique Dias, and the field masters André Vidal de Negreiros, João Fernandes Vieira and Barreto de Menezes, who commanded the whites. Among the reasons for the battle portrayed was the ambition of the Dutch for the region of Cabo de Santo Agostinho, known for its successful harvests.The comparison between the two canvases caused many to side with Batalha dos Guararapes for the unity and clarity of the scene: a composition without unity does not exist; as a result, the painting Batalha dos Guararapes, notwithstanding its defects of execution, is first in the order of merit for many reasons, and especially for a very simple one - that of being the only one left in the field.
Meirelles was scientific in his work. He was based on the theories of Louis-François Lejeune, who disserted on military paintings. In the 17th century, the paintings of battles became a way of documenting the royal exploits, and of registering travels, with the artist as an eyewitness. This tradition was rescued by Lejeune with his work depicting the Battle of Marengo, with which conceptual parallels can be drawn with Meirelles' work.
One of the painter's concerns was to produce his work following the demand for historical accuracy. He paid attention to details that could provide historical information such as, for example, a faithful representation of the environment in which the battle took place, that is, the setting of the historical fact. Meirelles paid attention to the topography, the ruins and mountains that made up the region, so that the viewer could identify and recognize the place where the scene took place. In the background of the battle scene, on the horizon line, there is Cabo de Santo Agostinho.This region, according to Varnhagen's História das Lutas dos Holandeses no Brasil, was very important for the course of the battle depicted. There was Dutch interest in the area because it was a fertile region, which led to the battle at Morro dos Guararapes. The representation of Cabo de Santo Agostinho brings a historical summary of the moment and also clarifies the reader of the importance of the area at the time, being an element that refers to the author's official history and research.It was rumored that the Dutch were preparing for a new attack, with the objective point of their exploration, with certain success of a better harvest, Cabo Santo Agostinho; located at a distance of 20 leagues away, south of Recife, which at that time was so distinguished by its great development. (...) Barreto de Menezes only had news of what had happened, summons the council that decides to leave immediately to meet the enemy (...) In the last plan, over the horizon, we can see the Cabo de Santo Agostinho.Another form used by the author to legitimize the narrative of his work and bring it closer to the verisimilar was the representation of the military strategies adopted by the two armies, strategies which Meirelles already had some knowledge of. In this way, Batalha dos Guararapes cuts a specific moment in the plot, focusing on special actions and characters.As requested, the author emphasized the victory and unity of the Portuguese army, helping to build the idea of the homeland's well-being and the foundation of a national identity. Despite the horror and violence also represented, national pride, patriotism, in a way, steals the scene. It is important to point out that although the idea of the union of ethnicities and peoples was addressed in the painting, this did not fail to be done in a hierarchical way, as demonstrated by the elements distributed on the screen. The white people were represented by figures such as the field masters André Vidal de Negreiros, João Fernandes Vieira, Dias Cardoso and Barreto de Menezes and Dias da Silva, the indigenous people by Filipe Camarão and the black people by Henrique Dias. Thus, the national history of miscegenation gained its first image with Victor Meirelles.
The representation of the royal army, emphasizing the white man as an example of civilization to be followed by the other races, was a trend of the 19th century tradition. The idea of unity was based precisely on the premise that the Brazilian nation, if united, would have the strength and opportunities to overcome any other civilization, confronting the movement of repudiation of the "other" in which the Brazilian nation was constituted. This "other", being foreign, was defined as barbaric and the idea that Brazilians represented the New World's ideal of civilization.Guararapes operates a synthesis of the races in the same struggle and founds the first legitimization of a country that discovers itself as master of its political destinies. The warrior feat is the baptism of fire of this solidarity among Brazilians, and the guarantee of an unshakable feeling.Even with a commitment to exaltation of national pride, Meirelles does not inferiorize the Dutch warriors, but rather, represents them with bravery and dignity even at the moment they are defeated, a detail that emphasizes the synchrony of the painting with the work of Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen. Debating the criticism, the painter explains that his goal was to highlight all the heroes gathered together.In depicting the Battle of Guararapes, I did not have in mind the fact of the battle in its cruel and ferocious aspect per se. For me, the battle was not this, it was the happy meeting where the heroes of that time were all reunited. The Guararapes canvas is a debt of honor that we had to pay, with recognition, in memory of the valor and patriotism of those illustrious men. My aim was all noble and the highest; it was necessary to treat that subject as a true historical picture, at the height that history deservedly consecrates to that handful of patriots who, driven by enthusiasm and love of the homeland, became notable meritorious. My concern was to highlight, in the way I thought most appropriate and worthy, the respective merit of each one of them, according to the importance that is rightfully recognized.The painting carries the idea of national heroism extremely necessary for the time when it was released, late 19th century, when there were still reflections of the Paraguayan War in society and in the economy.This set of motifs and aspirations was also an essential part of the academic tradition of historical painting, which has always been the most prestigious genre for scholars, considered the most noble and complete, and the ideal stage for the consecration of political and social ideologies, important also for its strong educational and moral associations. Moreover, in view of the difficulties of execution and its erudite character, the genre lent itself especially well to testify to the artist's superior culture and technical preparation.  This tradition goes back to the time when the Imperial Academy was founded by a group of French artists, who sought to imitate in the New World the model of the famous French academy. Although historical painting took a long time to assert itself in Brazil, as of the 1840s the theme became much debated, especially within the scope of the Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute, at the time the main space for the gestation and articulation of the ideological foundations of art sponsored by the State, the debate being characterized by a faithful alignment with the imperial nationalist program. For the members of the Institute and the Academy's leaders, as art historian Maraliz Vieira Christo states, "the continuity between past, present and future would be the thread that would weave the national memory". It fell to Victor Meirelles and his greatest rival, Pedro Américo, the role of main representatives of the tradition of historical painting in Brazil during the imperial period, in which the Battle is one of the most outstanding examples.
Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute 17th century Paraguayan War Brazilian romanticism Battle of Marengo eclecticism Almeida Junior André Vidal de Negreiros Henrique Bernardelli romanticism historical painting Cabo de Santo Agostinho The Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro topography Pedro Américo Imperial Academy of Fine Arts Francisco Adolfo de Varnhagen Rio de Janeiro Barreto de Menezes neoclassicism Varnhagen's artist Filipe Camarão Victor Meirelles 1870s Louis-François Lejeune Portuguese Desecration imperial period of Brazil paintings of battles 19th century tshi Pernambuco impressionism field master Rodolfo Amoedo Henrique Dias