Text – Tarsila do Amaral

Tarsila do Amaral

She was born in Capivari, São Paulo, 1886; died in São Paulo, 1973. She was a painter and draftswoman.

1916	Studied sculpture in São Paulo.
1917	Took painting and drawing classes with Pedro Alexandrino; met Anita Malfatti.
1920	Went to Paris.
1922	Returned to São Paulo and formed the Grupo dos Cinco (Group of Five) with Anita Malfatti, Mário Andrade, Menotti del Picchia and Oswald de Andrade.
1924	Accompanied the poet Blaise Cendras on a journey to the historic cities of Minas Gerais with Mário de Andrade, Oswald de Andrade and others.
1924 / 1925	Initiated the Pau-Brasil phase in which she painted national themes.
1925	Illustrated a book of poems, Pau-Brasil by Oswald de Andrade.
1928	Painted her most famous canvas Abapuru which inspired the Movimento Antropofágico (Anthropophagy Movement), launched by Oswald de Andrade and Paul Bopp.
1933	Traveled to the Soviet Union and began a phase on social themes with the works Operários (Workers) and Segunda Classe (Second Class).
1936	Started to write an art column for Diário de São Paulo newspaper.
1954	Painted the panel Procissão do Santíssimo (Procession of the Most Holy).
1956	Delivered O Batizado de Macunaíma (The Baptism of Macunaíma) to a publisher. The painting is about the work of Mário de Andrade.

Activities

1) Match the columns according the text.

(A) Tarsila do Amaral was born

(B) Anita Malfatti met

(C) In 1920, Tarsila do Amaral traveled to

(D) Mário de Andrade was part of the

(E) In 1933, Tarsila do Amaral

(F) Oswald de Andrade had one of his books

(     ) France.

(     ) Grupo dos Cinco.

(     ) in a small town in São Paulo state.

(     ) Tarsila in 1917.

(     ) illustraded by Tarsila do Amaral.

(     ) began a phase on social themes.

2) Find the statement that is not true.

Tarsila do Amaral

a) (     ) was in Europe in 1921.

b) (    ) participated in the Grupo dos Cinco.

c) (     ) painted her most famous canvas in 1928.

d) (     ) had the newspaper column in the Diário de São Paulo in 1936.

e) (     ) wrote a book called Pau-Brasil with the Oswald de Andrade.

3) Look at two of Tarsila’s most important paintings and answer the questions in Portuguese.

Abaporu, 1928.

Antropofagia, 1929.

As imagens transmitem informações sociais e culturais que permitem uma reflexão sobre o tema abordado, bem como uma ampliação de conhecimento. Trata-se de um gênero que não dá respostas diretas, mas que comprova uma reflexão em uma formação de opinião.

a) What are the similarities between the two paintings?

b) What social class do you infer thse people are from?

c) Why do you believe that?

4) Check the adjectives that best describe the people in the paintings.

a) (     ) Sad.

b) (     ) Happy.

c) (     ) Thoughtful.

d) (     ) Excited.

e) (     ) Tired.

Vocabulary in use

1) Find transparent words in the text.

Professor (a): Explicar que as palavras transparentes são conhecidas também como cognatos, ou seja, palavras que tem a sua ortografia muito parecida com o idioma português e cujo significado permanece o mesmo em inglês ou em português. Exemplos: chocolate, hospital, competition, television, music, emotion, video.

2) Complete the sentences with some of the the transparent words in exercise 1. Make the necessary changes. Synonyms are in parentheses.

a) Álvares de Azevedo and Castro Alves are very important Brazilian _____________. (poetry writers)

b) I don’t know who _____________ me to be a journalist, said the man. (motivaded)

c) The artist ____________ her book with very beautiful drawings. (decorated)

d) Brad Pitt is a very ______________ actor all over the world. (well-known)

e) It was very difficult to ____________ to that neighborhood. (go back)

3) Match the words with their definitions.

(A) Draftswoman

(B) Journey

(C) Canvas

(D) Column

(E) Panel

(     ) Time spent traveling from one place to another, especially over a long distance.

(     ) A thin board with a picture painted on it.

(     ) A woman whose job is to draw.

(     ) A painting done with oil paints or the piece of cloth the work of art is painted on.

(     ) A regular article in a newspaper or magazine.

4) Fill in the blanks with the words below.

canvas – journey – draftswoman – painting – painter – drawing – sculptures

a) Petr’s father was very rich and had os __________ in his garden. They were very impressive.

b) Theresa always liked Art more than subject at school. She was very good at __________ and _________.

c) There was a ___________ of Monet in the art gallery.

d) It was a very long ___________ to Fernando de Noronha.

e) Samara was a good ___________, but she was not a good ___________.

Answers

1)

(C)

(D)

(A)

(B)

(F)

(E)

2) e

3)

a) A presença do sol, o mesmo tipo de vegetação, as cores vibrantes, os pés grandes, as cabeças pequenas e os corpos deformados.

b) Classe baixa.

c) As pessoas estão descalças, curvadas em meio a cenários simples, o que sugere proveniência simples.

4) a / c / e

Vocabulary in use

1) Painter, sculpture, returned, formed, accompanied, poet, historic, phase, national, themes, illustraded, poems, famous, inspired, social, column, art, panel.

2)

a) poets

b) inspired

c) illustraded

d) famous

e) return

3)

(B)

(E)

(A)

(C)

(D)

4)

a) sculptures

b) painting / drawing

c) canvas

d) journey

e) draftswoman / painter