Guarujá 1 (2010) Painting by Athayde Lopes

He was born in Santos, a coastal city in the state of São Paulo (Brazil) on January 16, 1934.
His first contact with painting was at the age of 14, through the talented Italian painter and teacher, José Roncoleto (Lubra), with whom he took classes for 4 years.
The basis of his learning was structured on the principles of the Impressionist School, painting outdoors in the company of other young apprentices. Many places in this coastal region were visited by the group.
The smell of the forest, the rain, the heat of the earth, the breeze, everything had to be put on the canvas, but their young age prevented them from understanding this requirement, but they made an effort to do so.
This way of working on the same topic alongside colleagues made them feel less isolated and individualistic, allowing for the exchange of valuable technical information.
Not even working as an advertising professional prevented Athayde Lopes from taking these artistic trips, now seeking other sources of research. He had the privilege of visiting the coastal cities of Ubatuba, Itanhaém, Guarujá and Bertioga; and the mountain cities of Monte Alegre do Sul and Serra Negra. The surroundings of the Port of Santos also did not escape his meticulous attention.
However, the place that allowed us to encounter his true art was the region of Minas Gerais, the historic cities of Ouro Preto, Congonhas do Campo, Sabará, Mariana and São João Del Rei, which were also the stage for the emotions of the famous sculptor, Antonio Francisco Lisboa (“O Aleijadinho”), whose immortal work is spread throughout these cities.
By visiting this region periodically, Athayde brought us a precious source of knowledge that, portrayed in his works, allows us to travel to the Brazil of yesterday, the Brazil of Churches, lulling Christians to sleep with the sound of bells. The Ouro Preto mansions in his paintings are impassive witnesses to the stories of love and disillusionment, of revolts, struggles and persecutions, which were built by slave hands under the gauntlet of overseers, at the cost of gold extracted from the depths of the earth.
Minas Gerais is home to the most sumptuous heritage of Brazilian Baroque Art or Brazilian Colonial Art. The Baroque style loses its nationality; it ceases to be foreign; it dresses in tropical clothes; it acquires new aspects; and it becomes Brazilian, from the core, from Vila Rica, from Minas Gerais.
Athayde Lopes' 50-year artistic development trajectory was spent as a self-taught artist. All his professional knowledge and artistic sense were honed through his own efforts, thanks to the research that he still explores.
Currently, in addition to selling his works, he promotes workshops, teaches classes and conducts artistic tours along the coastal region of the city of Santos, with the aim of capturing the beauty that the landscape offers. He undertakes his research trips focusing on the tireless search for his favorite themes: the daily life of...

• Nationality: BRAZIL
• Date of birth : 1934
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary Brazilian Artists