“Djanira da Motta e Silva, an important painter of Brazilian modernism, lived a simple life and worked in the field during her childhood.
In her works, we can find those themes and a religiosity that became stronger over time. Using modern techniques, she played with the color and the simplicity of primitive or naïve art, known as Naïf Art, where figures and plans come about quite simplified, often without faces details and little emphasis on perspective.
After studying and traveling abroad, Djanira started to travel around Brazil, seeking the traditions, work and diversity of Brazilian scenes and landscapes that she represented in her works.
In the 1960s, she moved to the town of Paraty, where she portrayed the Feast of the Divine [Festa do Divino], which is now recognized as Brazilian Intangible Heritage.
The festival is held on the day of Pentecost and celebrates the descent of the Holy Spirit over Mary and the Christ’s apostles. With its origin in Portugal, thanks to the devotion of Queen Saint Elizabeth [Santa Isabel], it arrived in Brazil with the colonization and became one of the most important Brazilian Catholic festivals.
With red flags showing the Holy Spirit’s dove, thrones, masts and banquets, the festival’s highlight is the coronation of the Emperor of the Divine, which can be a teenager or the person responsible for organizing the event.
Even without seeing the faces of the people who take part in the festival, observe the ethnic diversity of the ceremony. Djanira represented all the peoples united in this celebration. Notice the details of this work and try to identify features that represent Brazil. Enjoy the explosion of colors and the music that comes from this beautiful work from the Palace Collection”.