There is an exhibit of paintings currently hanging at the Grand Palais in Paris that features the work of the early 20th century Portuguese artist Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso. It is only the second major retrospective of his work and the first since 1958. He is another of those artists who are probably not on your radar– I know I was unaware of his work. But once I found it, I couldn’t shake the memory of it.
He was born in the north of Portugal in 1887 near the small city of Amarante. While still a teen he made his way to Paris where he absorbed the fertile art scene that was in place. He began painting and drawing while becoming close friends with many artists and writers such as Gertrude Stein, Modigliani, Juan Gris and Brancusi.
His work encompassed the Cubist, Modernist and Futurist movements, moving seamlessly among them while maintaining his unique voice in whatever style he was working at the moment. When I viewed a large number of his work, I was knocked out by the consistency and strength that ran through it. Whether his work is in paint or in pen and ink, it is both vibrant and fully realized.
During the time of the first World War, Souza-Cardoso’s star was rising quickly. But like so many other millions of people, he was struck down by the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. He was only 30 years old.
What might have been…
In the fast paced and quickly changing atmosphere of the art world of the era, Souza-Cardoso’s work soon forgotten until a minor awakening in 1952 in his native Portugal. In Amarante, his work was given a room in the museum there and in the years since a small museum has been formed to feature it.
Hopefully, the greater public will soon know the name Souza-Cardoso. I think it’s a name worth knowing. I am showing just a few pieces of his work here. There were so many more that I could have chose. Just great stuff.
Eduardo Mota digitalizou “Le Saut du Lapin” de Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso
Redtree Times 