João Zeferino da Costa (August 25, 1840 – August 24, 1915)
was a Brazilian painter and designer.
Life and work
He began his studies in 1857 at the
Academia Imperial de Belas Artes
The Imperial Academy of Fine Arts ('' pt, Academia Imperial de Belas Artes'') was an institution of higher learning in the arts in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, established by King João VI. Despite facing many initial difficulties, the Academy was e ...
(AIBA) under the direction of
Victor Meirelles
Victor Meirelles de Lima (18 August 1832 – 22 February 1903) was a Brazilian painter and teacher who is best known for his works relating to his nation's culture and history. From humble origins, his talent was soon recognized, being admitted as ...
.
[Itaú Cultural Enciclopédia](_blank)
Brief biography and criticism. While there, he won several awards and was granted a fellowship to study in Europe. In 1869, he went to Rome and enrolled at the
Accademia di San Luca
The Accademia di San Luca (the "Academy of Saint Luke") is an Italian academy of artists in Rome. The establishment of the Accademia de i Pittori e Scultori di Roma was approved by papal brief in 1577, and in 1593 Federico Zuccari became its fir ...
, becoming a student of
Cesare Mariani.
He studied there for three years, winning several more awards, which allowed him to extend his visit for a few more years.
[Pintoresco:](_blank)
Brief biography
August 1, 2016) Some of his best-known paintings were done during this period.
When he returned to Brazil in 1877, he temporarily replaced Meirelles as the Professor of history painting at AIBA; although his primary position was as a teacher of landscapes, nude figure painting and design at the
Escola Nacional de Belas Artes
Escola de Belas Artes (School of Fine Arts) is one of the centers of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and dates back to colonial times.
A royal letter of Nov 20 1800 by John VI of Portugal established the ''Aula Prática de Desenho e Figu ...
(ENBA).
Among his best-known students there were
Rodolfo Amoedo
Rodolfo Amoedo (11 December 1857 – 31 May 1941) was a Brazilian painter, designer and decorator.
Biography
His interest in art and decoration began when a family friend (who was a lyricist) invited him to do work on the now defunct Teatro Sã ...
,
Henrique Bernardelli,
Lucílio de Albuquerque
Lucílio de Albuquerque (9 May 1877 – 19 April 1939) was a Brazilian painter, designer and art professor.
Biography
His father was a magistrate. and
Giovanni Battista Castagneto
Giovanni Battista Felice Castagneto, or João Batista Castagneto, (27 November 1851, Genoa – 29 December 1900, Rio de Janeiro) was an Italo-Brazilian landscape and seascape painter.
Biography
In Italy, he was a sailor. Nothing is known abo ...
.
In 1880, Emperor
Pedro II (who was impressed by Costa's Italian education) commissioned him to paint murals in
Candelária Church
The Candelária Church ( pt, Igreja da Candelária, ) is an important historical Roman Catholic church in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in southeastern Brazil. It was built and decorated during a long period, from 1775 to the late 19th century. T ...
which, after a brief trip to Rome for inspiration, were done in collaboration with his students.
His rendering of the Virgin Mary surrounded by the
Seven Virtues is considered to be his masterpiece. Later, his works at the General Exhibition of Fine Arts were heavily criticized by
Gonzaga Duque
Luís Gonzaga Duque Estrada, known as Gonzaga Duque (21 June 1863, Rio de Janeiro - 29 September 1911, Rio de Janeiro) was a Brazilian writer and critic. He was of Swedish descent on his father's side.
Life and work
After completing his primary ...
, Brazil's first art historian. As a result, he never exhibited publicly again.
In 1890, he became a deputy director at ENBA. Two years before his death, he was called upon to help restore his murals (already in poor condition after only thirty years), but his hands were so badly twisted by
rheumatism
Rheumatism or rheumatic disorders are conditions causing chronic, often intermittent pain affecting the joints or connective tissue. Rheumatism does not designate any specific disorder, but covers at least 200 different conditions, including art ...
that other painters had to be employed to do the work.
He wrote a book, ''Mecanismos e proporções da figura humana'' (Mechanisms and Proportions of the Human Figure), which was published the year after his death and presents the essence of his artistic credo.
Selected paintings
João Zeferino da Costa - Moisés recebendo as tábuas da lei - 1868.jpg, Moses Receiving the Law (1868)
João Zeferino da Costa - O óbolo da viúva, 1876.jpg, Lesson of the Widow's Mite (1876)
João Zeferino da Costa - A Caridade.jpg, Charity (1872)
João Zeferino da Costa - São João Batista, 1873.jpg, Saint John the Baptist (1873)
References
Further reading
* Alfredo Galvão, ''João Zeferino da Costa, sua vida de estudante e a de professor'', University of Texas (1973)
External links
''Mecanismos e proporções da figura humana'' full text online @ DezenoveVinte
{{DEFAULTSORT:Costa, Joao Zeferino Da
1840 births
1916 deaths
People from Rio de Janeiro (city)
Religious artists
19th-century Brazilian painters
19th-century Brazilian male artists
20th-century Brazilian painters
20th-century Brazilian male artists
Catholic painters