TheinterruptedrevolutionofLúcioCosta

After the 1930 Revolution and the seizure of power by Getúlio Vargas's group, the politician and jurist from Minas Gerais, Francisco Campos, took over the Ministry of Education during the Provisional Government. Another intellectual from Minas Gerais, the influential Rodrigo de Melo Franco de Andrade, collaborates with Campos at the ministry and makes a controversial appointment for the direction of the historic National School of Fine Arts: the young Rio-born architect Lúcio Costa. This event was perhaps one of the most remarkable moments for Brazilian art at the very beginning of the 1930s. Even with a brief tenure, the architect revolutionized the ENBA by finally introducing modernist principles into a space that was still strictly academic and anachronistic.

Image description: This image is a black-and-white photograph of two individuals in an indoor setting. At the top, there is a highlighted text mentioning the "XXXVIII Fine Arts Exhibition." Below it, another line refers to the solemn opening of the first revolutionary "Salon." The figure on the left is seated, wearing a dress with decorative details on the sleeves. The figure on the right is standing, wearing a dark suit. Both are in a setting lit by natural light, possibly coming from windows behind them.

Lúcio, at just 28 years old, took office on December 12, 1930 and did not finish out 1931 at the head of the institution. Even with such a brief tenure, he was responsible for the 38th General Exhibition of Fine Arts, known at the time as the “Revolutionary Salon.” Assembling a diverse jury with notable names from 1922 -- such as Anita Malfatti and Manuel Bandeira, along with the “new” Portinari and Celso Antônio -- the architect and director set as his criterion accepting all submitted works. Thus, every work sent in was included in the immense show, which ultimately ended up bringing together different generations and perspectives on art. With a majority of artists linked to what came to be called modernism, the Salon ended up being a watershed moment in the city and in the country.

Even with such openness, the exhibition ended up being dominated by the names of the renewal of Brazilian art, with striking presences, in both quantity and quality of works, of names such as Guignard, Di Cavalcanti, Tarsila do Amaral, Jhon Graz, Antonio and Regina Gomide, Flávio de Carvalho, Brecheret, among many others, in addition to the jury members – Malfatti and Portinari. In the field of architecture, the generation impacted by Le Corbusier's work in Brazil was also present through names such as Affonso Eduardo Reidy, Carlos Leão, Marcelo Roberto and Alcides da Rocha Miranda. A total of 506 works by 160 painters, 129 works by 41 sculptors, and 35 projects by 10 architects were submitted and exhibited, adding up to the incredible total of 670 works produced by 236 artists and architects.

Image description: This is a painting depicting a vibrant, colorful scene, likely representing a market or a fruit and flower fair. From left to right, we see a variety of fruits and vegetables arranged at different levels. In the foreground, there are green and yellow bananas, followed by a large green plant with wide leaves. Further ahead, we find a pile of lemons and red tomatoes. On the right, there are pineapples and another pile of tomatoes. In the background, we see a row of pots with green plants and pink flowers. On the left, there is a white house with a red roof and blue windows. On the right, there is a palm tree and a pile of green fruits.

The absolute highlight of this exhibition is the first Brazilian display of Cícero Dias's definitive work, painted between 1926 and 1929 at number 8 Rua Aprazível, Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro. It was with "Eu vi o mundo... ele começava em Recife," measuring 15 meters wide by 25 meters long, that the "Salão revolucionário" achieved the historic impact that, one way or another, was already underway. Made with gouache and watercolor on gift-wrapping paper, Dias's work featured nudes and motifs still considered controversial to the public, and even had one of its sections removed in the version shown to the public.

Image description: This is a colorful painting depicting a vibrant and lively scene. From the left, we see human figures and animals in motion, with a man wearing a black hat and a vest, apparently driving an old car. In the center, there is a child figure sitting on a horse, holding a piece of fruit. Further to the right, another figure is mounted on an animal, possibly a donkey, also holding a piece of fruit. In the background, there are colorful buildings, including houses with red and yellow roofs, and a factory with smoking chimneys. On the right, there is a series of taller buildings, some with blue roofs and others with red roofs. In the lower part of the image, we see human figures in motion, some appearing to be dancing or celebrating.

Another key point during Lúcio Costa's very brief tenure as director of the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes was the transformation of its teaching methods. Unable to dismiss the already traditional academic professors, the new director brought in changes by hiring a team of professionals for the faculty, such as the architect Gregori Warchavchik, the painter Leo Putz, the sculptor Celso Antônio de Menezes, and the engineer Edson Passos. These changes drew to his free courses the students Roberto Burle Marx, Oscar Niemeyer, and Carlos Leão, three of the most important names in the city's remodeling over the following decades, with works such as the Ministry of Education Building and the Aterro do Flamengo.

Because he directly went against a series of interests held by the former members of the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes, Lúcio Costa was replaced as early as September 1931, amid protests made directly to the federal government through the influential figure of Gustavo Capanema. Either way, this period under Costa opened up the possibility for future impactful actions, such as the construction of the MEC building (with an initial design by Le Corbusier) in 1937 and the founding of the Instituto de Artes of the also short-lived, though revolutionary, Universidade do Distrito Federal, in 1935.