Grupo Santa Helena
Encyclopedia
Grupo Santa Helena, or Santa Helena Group, was the name given by the critic Sérgio Milliet
to the painters that met in the ateliers of Francisco Rebolo
and Mario Zanini
starting in the 1930s. The ateliers belonged to a Praça da Sé
building named Palacete Santa Helena. This building was demolished in 1971, when the Sé station of São Paulo Metro
was built.
The Santa Helena Group was formed spontaneously, without any conceptual commitment. Most of its members were Italian immigrants
, like Alfredo Volpi
and Fulvio Pennacchi
; sons of Italian immigrants, like Aldo Bonadei
, Alfredo Rizzotti
, Mario Zanini and Humberto Rosa; some were Spanish immigrants
like Francisco Rebolo; some Portuguese immigrants
like Manuel Martins
.
They all shared a humble origin, and worked as artisan
s or proletarian
s. Rebolo, Volpi and Zanini were wall painters. Clóvis Graciano
was a railroad worker. Fulvio Pennacchi was a butcher. Aldo Bonadei worked with costume design
and embroidery
. Rizzotti was an auto mechanic and a lathe
worker. Manoel Martins was a goldsmith
. Rebolo was a football player. Humberto Rosa and Pennacchi taught drawing. Painting was for the weekends or leisure time.
Most of them had courses in the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios
(or "Arts and Crafts Lyceum", that was one Liceo scientifico
), or the Escola Profissional Masculina do Brás (or "Men's Professional School of Brás"). However, they reduced what they learned to drawing and painting techniques, not to the academic guiding of formal order, were they aware of that or not.
By this time, some painters associations were created in São Paulo, like the Sociedade Pró-Arte Moderna (or "Pro-Modern Art Society", aka SPAM) or Clube dos Artistas Modernos (CAM, or "Modern Artists Club"). They joined the participants of the Semana de Arte Moderna (or "Modern Art Week"). These groups were formed by intellectuals and members of the São Paulo elite, which kept a great distance from the Santa Helena members and other proletarian groups, about which they had little or no knowledge.
The group union, that lasted for years, can be explained as a reaction against the enormous prejudice that existed about the poor immigrants, that came not only from the pre-existent Brazilian elite families, but also from immigrants that became wealthy in Brazil. That prejudice was made clear in several criticisms that were directed to the Group's work, particularly when it started to cause a sensation, and to threaten positions already established.
Some Santa Helena artists had already studied art in Europe before arriving in Brazil; for instance Pennacchi, Rizzotti and Bonadei. All others had difficulty learning about the art created there, and could only be taught by teachers in Brazil. Bonadei was a student of Pedro Alexandrino, Antonio Rocco and Amadeo Scavone. Graciano was taught by Waldemar da Costa, and Zanini was a Georg Elpons student.
The perseverance of the group, in its fight for survival, caused interest and attracted new friends and partners. So, in due time, the place became the meeting point of many other artists.
The Santa Helena Group's major achievement was to reveal some of the most important Brazilian visual artists of the 20th century.
, that identified in them a "São Paulo school of painting".
In 1940, the "Exhibition of French Painters", that presented Cézanne, Picasso, Braque and Gris
, among others, caused an enormous impact and several components of the group started to redirect his work, what made them more distant of the Grupo's themes or in their formal aspects.
Sérgio Milliet
Sérgio Milliet da Costa e Silva, generally known as Sérgio Milliet was a Brazilian writer, painter, poet,essayist, literary and art critic, and sociologist.-External links:* in...
to the painters that met in the ateliers of Francisco Rebolo
Francisco Rebolo
Francisco Rebolo Gonsales, widely known as Francisco Rebolo, or just Rebolo , was a Brazilian painter. He was a son of Spanish immigrants that arrived at Brasil in the end of 19th century....
and Mario Zanini
Mario Zanini
Mario Zanini, or simply Zanini , was a Brazilian painter and interior designer....
starting in the 1930s. The ateliers belonged to a Praça da Sé
Praça da Sé
The Praça da Sé is a public space in São Paulo, considered the center of town, because is the point from where the distancy of all roads that pass on São Paulo are counted. The square was the location of many historic events in São Paulo's history, most notably during the Diretas Já movement...
building named Palacete Santa Helena. This building was demolished in 1971, when the Sé station of São Paulo Metro
São Paulo Metro
The São Paulo Metro is the principal rapid-transit system in the city of São Paulo and the largest in Brazil. It is also the second largest system in South America and the third largest in Latin America, behind Mexico City and Santiago....
was built.
The Santa Helena Group was formed spontaneously, without any conceptual commitment. Most of its members were Italian immigrants
Italian Brazilian
-Italian immigration to Brazil:The Italian government claims there are 25 million Brazilians of Italian descent, which would be the largest population of Italian background outside of Italy itself. There are no actual surveys, or even verifiable calculations supporting such claims. According to...
, like Alfredo Volpi
Alfredo Volpi
Alfredo Volpi , was a famous painter of the artistic and cultural Brazilian modernist movement. He was born in Lucca, Italy but, less than two years later, he was brought by his parents to São Paulo, Brazil, where he lived for most part of his life...
and Fulvio Pennacchi
Fulvio Pennacchi
Fulvio Pennacchi was an Italian-Brazilian artist who drew, painted, painted murals and made ceramics....
; sons of Italian immigrants, like Aldo Bonadei
Aldo Bonadei
Aldo Cláudio Felipe Bonadei, widely known as Aldo Bonadei was a Brazilian painter. As a member of the Grupo Santa Helena he was distinguished for his erudition....
, Alfredo Rizzotti
Alfredo Rizzotti
Alfredo Rullo Rizzotti, generally known as Alfredo Rizzotti was a Brazilian artist, that worked with painting, drawing and interior design.-References:...
, Mario Zanini and Humberto Rosa; some were Spanish immigrants
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
like Francisco Rebolo; some Portuguese immigrants
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
like Manuel Martins
Manuel Martins (visual artist)
Manuel Joaquim Martins, usually known as Manuel Martins was a Brazilian artist that worked with painting, illustration, drawing, engraving, sculpture and embroidery...
.
They all shared a humble origin, and worked as artisan
Artisan
An artisan is a skilled manual worker who makes items that may be functional or strictly decorative, including furniture, clothing, jewellery, household items, and tools...
s or proletarian
Proletariat
The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class, usually the working class; a member of such a class is proletarian...
s. Rebolo, Volpi and Zanini were wall painters. Clóvis Graciano
Clóvis Graciano
Clóvis Graciano was a Brazilian artist that worked with painting, drawing, scenography, costume design, engraving and illustration....
was a railroad worker. Fulvio Pennacchi was a butcher. Aldo Bonadei worked with costume design
Costume design
Costume design is the fabrication of apparel for the overall appearance of a character or performer. This usually involves researching, designing and building the actual items from conception. Costumes may be for a theater or cinema performance but may not be limited to such...
and embroidery
Embroidery
Embroidery is the art or handicraft of decorating fabric or other materials with needle and thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as metal strips, pearls, beads, quills, and sequins....
. Rizzotti was an auto mechanic and a lathe
Lathe
A lathe is a machine tool which rotates the workpiece on its axis to perform various operations such as cutting, sanding, knurling, drilling, or deformation with tools that are applied to the workpiece to create an object which has symmetry about an axis of rotation.Lathes are used in woodturning,...
worker. Manoel Martins was a goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
. Rebolo was a football player. Humberto Rosa and Pennacchi taught drawing. Painting was for the weekends or leisure time.
Most of them had courses in the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios
Liceu de Artes e Ofícios de São Paulo
The School of Arts and Crafts of São Paulo is a Brazilian private civil society, whose main activities are involved with technical education...
(or "Arts and Crafts Lyceum", that was one Liceo scientifico
Liceo Scientifico
Liceo Scientifico is a secondary school type in Italy. Along with Liceo Classico, it is considered the peak of the Italian upper secondary education. The access to this school is possible after the successful completion of the three year middle school and the corresponding final examination...
), or the Escola Profissional Masculina do Brás (or "Men's Professional School of Brás"). However, they reduced what they learned to drawing and painting techniques, not to the academic guiding of formal order, were they aware of that or not.
By this time, some painters associations were created in São Paulo, like the Sociedade Pró-Arte Moderna (or "Pro-Modern Art Society", aka SPAM) or Clube dos Artistas Modernos (CAM, or "Modern Artists Club"). They joined the participants of the Semana de Arte Moderna (or "Modern Art Week"). These groups were formed by intellectuals and members of the São Paulo elite, which kept a great distance from the Santa Helena members and other proletarian groups, about which they had little or no knowledge.
The group union, that lasted for years, can be explained as a reaction against the enormous prejudice that existed about the poor immigrants, that came not only from the pre-existent Brazilian elite families, but also from immigrants that became wealthy in Brazil. That prejudice was made clear in several criticisms that were directed to the Group's work, particularly when it started to cause a sensation, and to threaten positions already established.
Some Santa Helena artists had already studied art in Europe before arriving in Brazil; for instance Pennacchi, Rizzotti and Bonadei. All others had difficulty learning about the art created there, and could only be taught by teachers in Brazil. Bonadei was a student of Pedro Alexandrino, Antonio Rocco and Amadeo Scavone. Graciano was taught by Waldemar da Costa, and Zanini was a Georg Elpons student.
The perseverance of the group, in its fight for survival, caused interest and attracted new friends and partners. So, in due time, the place became the meeting point of many other artists.
The Santa Helena Group's major achievement was to reveal some of the most important Brazilian visual artists of the 20th century.
Exhibitions
In 1937, an exhibition named Família Artística Paulista, or "Artistic Family of São Paulo" shown a set of artists, including the Grupo Santa Helena, that could show their work publicly for the first time. From then on, the Grupo became known. They provoked the interest of Mário de AndradeMário de Andrade
Mário Raul de Morais Andrade was a Brazilian poet, novelist, musicologist, art historian and critic, and photographer. One of the founders of Brazilian modernism, he virtually created modern Brazilian poetry with the publication of his Paulicéia Desvairada in 1922...
, that identified in them a "São Paulo school of painting".
In 1940, the "Exhibition of French Painters", that presented Cézanne, Picasso, Braque and Gris
Juan Gris
José Victoriano González-Pérez , better known as Juan Gris, was a Spanish painter and sculptor who lived and worked in France most of his life...
, among others, caused an enormous impact and several components of the group started to redirect his work, what made them more distant of the Grupo's themes or in their formal aspects.