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Old Masters, 19th and Twentieth Century Art

Carlos Bastos

Arlequim

SCarlos Bastos (Brazil, 1925-2004) studied fine arts in Salvador and then in Rio de Janeiro. He also studied art in New York and Paris. He belonged to a group of artists that included Jorge Amado (also from Bahia) (1912-2001), whose books Bastos illustrated, and Mario Cravo Carybe, another well-known Bahian artist. Their group had a strong impact on the art scene of the 1940s and 1950s, creating the illusion of sensuality, miscegenation, and Africanness, all still characteristic of Bahian culture. The works of these artists are internationally known. Carlos Bastos was one of the top three muralists of Brazil and is recognized by some as the leader of Brazilian Modernism. His art was innovative and revolutionized the arts in Brazil.
His work includes the Saint John the Baptist Chapel mural at the Parque e Museu Histórico Nacional, in Rio de Janeiro, and the vast murals for the Bahian Congress Building. Bastos is mentioned in two of Jorge Amado´s books.

​​Discovered in a New England estate, completely fresh and untouched, this early work (He was only 23!) by the great Carlos Bastos is beyond amazing. Painted while Bastos was studying in New York, before he became the leader of the Brazilian Modernist movement. Aside from the striking image of the morose model, the composition is extremely harmonious. An interesting note- Bastos incised the board along the grout lines of the classical themed tile behind the girl, conveying a three-dimensional quality even to this detail.