Victor Brecheret, born ''Vittorio Breheret'' (December 15, 1894 – December 17, 1955), was an
Italian-Brazilian sculptor
Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...
. He lived most of his life in
São Paulo
São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...
, except for his studies in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
in his early twenties. Brecheret's work combines techniques of
Europe
Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...
an
modernist sculpture with references to his native country through the physical characteristics of his human forms and visual motifs drawn from Brazilian
folk art
Folk art covers all forms of visual art made in the context of folk culture. Definitions vary, but generally the objects have practical utility of some kind, rather than being exclusively decorative art, decorative. The makers of folk art a ...
. Many of his subjects are figures from the
Bible
The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...
or
classical mythology
Classical mythology, also known as Greco-Roman mythology or Greek and Roman mythology, is the collective body and study of myths from the ancient Greeks and ancient Romans. Mythology, along with philosophy and political thought, is one of the m ...
.
Biography
Brecheret was one of the first Brazilian modernists to achieve success. In 1921 his sculpture ''Eve'' was acquired by the São Paulo city hall. In 1922 his work was exhibited in the foyer of the Municipal Theatre during the
Week of Modern Art (''Semana de Arte Moderna''). His ''O Grupo'' was acquired by the
French government in 1934 for the
Musée du Jeu de Paume; it was later moved to the public library at
La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon () is a Communes of France, commune in the Vendée Departments of France, department in the Pays de la Loire Regions of France, region in western France. It is the capital of the department. The demonym for its inhabitants is '' ...
, where it remains on display. His best-known work, the massive ''Monument to the Banderas'' (''Monumento às Bandeiras'') at the entrance of
Ibirapuera Park in São Paulo, was proposed (in the form of a plaster miniature) in 1920, begun in 1936, and completed on January 25, 1953.
Birthplace controversy
Brecheret's Brazilian birth certificate lists his birthplace as São Paulo. This Brazilian record, though, was made in 1930 when the sculptor was already 36 years old upon his own request. Daisy Peccinini, Brecheret's biographer, maintains that he was in fact born in
Farnese,
Italy
Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
, based on the original birth register (pictured right) made only four days after his birth. A second-leval judicial sentence from the State Court of São Paulo issued on October 15, 2014 corroborates that Brecheret was born in Italy and emigrated to Brazil in 1904 with his maternal uncle Enrico Nanni.
Autos de Apelação nº0061760-39.2003.8.26.0100, da Comarca de São Paulo
(in Portuguese)
File:Breheret Vittorio - atto di nascita 1894 Farnese VT.jpg, Birth record of Vittorio Breheret - ''Ministero per i Beni Culturali''
See also
* Prêmio Saci
* Monument to the Duke of Caxias
References
External links
Official Website of the Instituto Victor Brecheret in EnglishThe Marajoara art of Victor Brecheret
by the Instituto Victor Brecheret.
Bibliography
*PECCININI, Daisy
- A Linguagem das Formas''
São Paulo: Ed. Instituto Victor Brecheret, 2004.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brecheret, Victor
1894 births
1955 deaths
Italian emigrants to Brazil
People from the Province of Viterbo
Artists from Lazio
20th-century Brazilian sculptors
20th-century Brazilian male artists