Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro
Encyclopedia
Columbano Bordalo Pinheiro (Lisbon
, 21 November 1857 – Lisbon, 6 November 1929), who is usually referred to as Columbano, was a Portuguese
Realist painter. Usually considered the greatest Portuguese painter of the 19th century, he has been compared to the likes of Wilhelm Leibl
and Thomas Eakins
.
. He became the leading painter of his generation and the master of realism
in Portuguese painting, specializing in portraiture. He was disciple of his father, of the painter Miguel Ângelo Lupi
and the sculptor Simões de Almeida. After attempting twice for a bursar to study abroad finally in 1881 the countess of Edla, second wife of D.Fernando would finance his study in France. There he studied the work of French naturalist, realist and impressionist painters, like Courbet
, Manet
and Degas
without losing his distinctive style which is often gloomy and intimist.
He joined the "Grupo do Leão" (The Lion's Group), a usual meeting of artists, writers and intellectuals in a Lisbon downtown restaurant called "Leão de Ouro" (The Golden Lion) in order to discuss aesthetic issues and proclaim Naturalism against the academic art of the time. The group also included Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, António da Silva Porto
, Marques de Oliveira
and José Malhoa
.
He painted portraits of some of the greatest names of Portuguese society and culture of his time like José Maria de Eça de Queiroz, Teófilo Braga
, Raul Brandão
and had great psychological accuracy in defining the personality of those depicted. His most famous portrait was that of the poet Antero de Quental
in 1889. In this haunting work Columbano seems to have anticipated Antero's suicide.
Columbano was a well known Republican, so it wasn't surprising that after the Republic proclamation
, in 1910, he was invited to design the flag of the new regime and was nominated director of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, currently the Chiado Museum
, in Lisbon
, of which he was in charge from 1914 to 1927.
The best collection of his paintings is in the Chiado Museum
, in Lisbon. He's also represented in some of the finest Portuguese museums, like the National Museum Soares dos Reis
, in Porto.
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, 21 November 1857 – Lisbon, 6 November 1929), who is usually referred to as Columbano, was a Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
Realist painter. Usually considered the greatest Portuguese painter of the 19th century, he has been compared to the likes of Wilhelm Leibl
Wilhelm Leibl
Wilhelm Maria Hubertus Leibl was a German realist painter of portraits and scenes of peasant life.Leibl was born in Cologne and in 1861 began his first training with Hermann Becker, a local painter. He entered the Munich Academy in 1864, subsequently studying with several artists including Carl...
and Thomas Eakins
Thomas Eakins
Thomas Cowperthwait Eakins was an American realist painter, photographer, sculptor, and fine arts educator...
.
Life and work
Columbano was the son of a mediocre romantic painter, Manuel Maria Bordalo Pinheiro, and the younger brother of the great caricaturist, Rafael Bordalo PinheiroRafael Bordalo Pinheiro
Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro was a Portuguese artist known for his illustration, caricatures, sculpture and ceramics designs, and is considered the first Portuguese comics creator.- Life :...
. He became the leading painter of his generation and the master of realism
Realism (visual arts)
Realism in the visual arts is a style that depicts the actuality of what the eyes can see. The term is used in different senses in art history; it may mean the same as illusionism, the representation of subjects with visual mimesis or verisimilitude, or may mean an emphasis on the actuality of...
in Portuguese painting, specializing in portraiture. He was disciple of his father, of the painter Miguel Ângelo Lupi
Miguel Ângelo Lupi
Miguel Ângelo Lupi was a Portuguese Romantic painter. He was a professor of historical painting at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lisbon....
and the sculptor Simões de Almeida. After attempting twice for a bursar to study abroad finally in 1881 the countess of Edla, second wife of D.Fernando would finance his study in France. There he studied the work of French naturalist, realist and impressionist painters, like Courbet
Gustave Courbet
Jean Désiré Gustave Courbet was a French painter who led the Realist movement in 19th-century French painting. The Realist movement bridged the Romantic movement , with the Barbizon School and the Impressionists...
, Manet
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first 19th-century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
and Degas
Edgar Degas
Edgar Degas[p] , born Hilaire-Germain-Edgar De Gas, was a French artist famous for his work in painting, sculpture, printmaking and drawing. He is regarded as one of the founders of Impressionism although he rejected the term, and preferred to be called a realist...
without losing his distinctive style which is often gloomy and intimist.
He joined the "Grupo do Leão" (The Lion's Group), a usual meeting of artists, writers and intellectuals in a Lisbon downtown restaurant called "Leão de Ouro" (The Golden Lion) in order to discuss aesthetic issues and proclaim Naturalism against the academic art of the time. The group also included Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, António da Silva Porto
Antonío da Silva Porto
António Francisco Ferreira da Silva Porto was a Portuguese trader and explorer in Angola, in the Portuguese West Africa.-Biography:...
, Marques de Oliveira
João Marques de Oliveira
João Marques de Oliveira was a Portuguese naturalist painter.He studied in the Academy of Fine Arts in Porto and in 1873 travelled to France with is colleague António Silva Porto, where they studied with academical painters Adolphe Yvon and Alexandre Cabanel. They became familiar with the French...
and José Malhoa
José Malhoa
José Vital Branco Malhoa, known simply as José Malhoa was a Portuguese painter....
.
He painted portraits of some of the greatest names of Portuguese society and culture of his time like José Maria de Eça de Queiroz, Teófilo Braga
Teófilo Braga
Joaquim Teófilo Fernandes Braga ]] 24 February 1843 – 28 January 1924) was a Portuguese writer, playwright, politician and the leader of the Republican Provisional Government after the abdication of King Manuel II, as well as the second elected President of the First Portuguese Republic, following...
, Raul Brandão
Raul Brandão
Raul Germano Brandão was a Portuguese writer, journalist and military officer, notable for the realism of his literary descriptions and by the lyricism of his speech. Brandão was born in Foz do Douro, a parish of Porto, where he spent the majority of his youth...
and had great psychological accuracy in defining the personality of those depicted. His most famous portrait was that of the poet Antero de Quental
Antero de Quental
Antero Tarquínio de Quental , old spelling Anthero, , a Portuguese poet, philosopher and writer, whose works became a milestone in the Portuguese language, alongside those of Camões or Bocage....
in 1889. In this haunting work Columbano seems to have anticipated Antero's suicide.
Columbano was a well known Republican, so it wasn't surprising that after the Republic proclamation
5 October 1910 revolution
The revolution of 1910 was a republican coup d'état that occurred in Portugal on 5 October 1910, which deposed King Manuel II and established the Portuguese First Republic....
, in 1910, he was invited to design the flag of the new regime and was nominated director of the National Museum of Contemporary Art, currently the Chiado Museum
Chiado Museum
The Chiado Museum is an art museum located in Lisbon, in the Chiado neighbourhood. It was created in 1911 and re-inaugurated, in new installations, in 1994....
, in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, of which he was in charge from 1914 to 1927.
The best collection of his paintings is in the Chiado Museum
Chiado Museum
The Chiado Museum is an art museum located in Lisbon, in the Chiado neighbourhood. It was created in 1911 and re-inaugurated, in new installations, in 1994....
, in Lisbon. He's also represented in some of the finest Portuguese museums, like the National Museum Soares dos Reis
National Museum Soares dos Reis
National Museum Soares dos Reis , located in the ancient Carrancas Palace, in Porto, Portugal, is one of the most renowned Portuguese museums.The museum Soares dos Reis, founded in 1833, is Portugal's first national museum...
, in Porto.