The Escola de Belas Artes had its history tied to the arrival of the French Artistic Mission, and its legacy stems from attempts to establish artistic and technical education in Brazil according to the French model. With the decree of August 12, 1816, D. João VI ordered the creation of a Royal School of Sciences, Arts and Crafts. The main goal was to develop a tradition independent of the Portuguese artistic factions of the colonial period. Grandjean de Montigny was one of the leading promoters of these models, designing public buildings in the neoclassical style, and he was responsible for training the city's first architects at the newly created Academia Imperial de Belas Artes (1826).
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a historic building. On the left side, we see a column with a female statue holding a sword. In the center, there is a balcony with three large windows, each with an inscription above it. On the right, another column features a female statue holding a musical instrument. Below the balcony, there is a sign reading "ESCOLA NACIONAL DE BELAS ARTES." At the main entrance, there is a male statue holding a book. In the background, we see more windows and architectural details.Facade of the Academia Imperial de Belas Artes building. Marc Ferrez, circa 1885. Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Instituto Moreira Salles.
Throughout the 19th century, the Academy was marked by comings and goings, especially with regard to the architecture course. There was pressure exerted by the Escola Politécnica for architecture to be merged with engineering. This change was suggested by several directors of the Academy, such as Modesto Maia, and professors, such as André Rebouças - also a professor at the Politécnica - and Bittencourt Silva, a student of Grandjean de Montigny. The main argument was the lack of students, a situation that changed after the Proclamation of the Republic, when it became the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes.
In 1890, Rodolfo Bernardelli took over the direction of the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes and used his prestige to secure the plot on Avenida Central for the construction of the new building. The project, in eclectic style and designed by Adolfo Morales de los Rios - a professor at the School -, was based on the typology of one of the wings of the Louvre Museum in Paris, and marked the façade with medallions honoring great artists (painted by Bernardelli). Besides the school, the building housed a picture gallery with the school's own collection and an exhibition space. The new Escola Nacional de Belas Artes was inaugurated in 1909 and soon became one of the icons of the avenue.
Image description: This is a historic black-and-white photograph of a square with two notable buildings. On the left side, there is a palace with classical architecture, featuring a dome decorated with ornamental elements. In front of it, there is a staircase and a column with a lighthouse. In the center of the image, there is a large building with several windows and elaborate architectural details, including columns and sloped roofs. On the right side, there is an open area with some trees and a bench. People are walking through the square, and the sky is clear.View of the National School of Fine Arts to the left of the Theatro Municipal. Marc Ferrez, circa 1910. Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Instituto Moreira Salles.
