Mário Cesariny de Vasconcelos
Encyclopedia
Mário Cesariny de Vasconcelos also known as Mário Cesariny (August 9, 1923, Lisbon
, Portugal - November 26, 2006, Lisbon, Portugal) is among the most important Portuguese surrealist poet
s, having published several major works during a career spanning 50 years. Cesariny was also a painter
, but his work became more centered on poetry in the 1950s.
Mário Cesariny studied in the prestigious Escola de Artes Decorativas António Arroio and also studied music with the composer Fernando Lopes Graça. Later he joined the Académie de la Grande Chaumière
in Paris, where he met André Breton
in 1947. He soon became influenced by the French surrealist movement and was one of the biggest supporters of the movement in Portugal, where he founded the Lisbon Surrealist Movement with other Portuguese artists including Alexandre O'Neill
and José-Augusto França.
After being acquainted with the surrealist movement, Cesariny moved away from the neorealist
movement, important at the time in the country for being composed mainly by members of the resistance against the fascist leaning regime of Oliveira Salazar. He adopted an attitude of constant experimenting in his work. This principle is the main characteristic of his work and has been present throughout his career.
From 1960 until April 25, 1974
, Cesariny was mercilessly harassed by the Portuguese Polícia Judiciária
for being a suspect of vagrancy
, a euphemistic term used by the police in those days for homosexuality
, which the poet lived courageously in spite of persecution. This fact shows up several times in his writings in a veiled way ("Lisboa-os-Sustos") and was one of the causes of his intermittent stayings in Great Britain and France during the 1960s and 1970s. Later he talked publicly about this.
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...
, Portugal - November 26, 2006, Lisbon, Portugal) is among the most important Portuguese surrealist poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
s, having published several major works during a career spanning 50 years. Cesariny was also a painter
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, but his work became more centered on poetry in the 1950s.
Biography
Mário Cesariny was the youngest child and only son of Viriato de Vasconcelos and wife María de las Mercedes Cesariny, a Spanish of French but originally Italian ancestry.Mário Cesariny studied in the prestigious Escola de Artes Decorativas António Arroio and also studied music with the composer Fernando Lopes Graça. Later he joined the Académie de la Grande Chaumière
Académie de la Grande Chaumière
The Académie de la Grande Chaumière is an art school in the VIe arrondissement of Paris, France. The school was founded in 1902 by the Swiss Martha Stettler , who refused to teach the strict academic rules of painting of the École des Beaux-Arts. It opened the way to the "Art Indépendant"...
in Paris, where he met André Breton
André Breton
André Breton was a French writer and poet. He is known best as the founder of Surrealism. His writings include the first Surrealist Manifesto of 1924, in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism"....
in 1947. He soon became influenced by the French surrealist movement and was one of the biggest supporters of the movement in Portugal, where he founded the Lisbon Surrealist Movement with other Portuguese artists including Alexandre O'Neill
Alexandre O'Neill
Alexandre Manuel Vahia de Castro O'Neill de Bulhões, GOSE was a Portuguese writer and poet of Irish descent.-Family:...
and José-Augusto França.
After being acquainted with the surrealist movement, Cesariny moved away from the neorealist
Neorealism (art)
In art, neorealism was established by the ex-Camden Town Group painters Charles Ginner and Harold Gilman at the beginning of World War I. They set out to explore the spirit of their age through the shapes and colours of daily life...
movement, important at the time in the country for being composed mainly by members of the resistance against the fascist leaning regime of Oliveira Salazar. He adopted an attitude of constant experimenting in his work. This principle is the main characteristic of his work and has been present throughout his career.
From 1960 until April 25, 1974
Carnation Revolution
The Carnation Revolution , also referred to as the 25 de Abril , was a military coup started on 25 April 1974, in Lisbon, Portugal, coupled with an unanticipated and extensive campaign of civil resistance...
, Cesariny was mercilessly harassed by the Portuguese Polícia Judiciária
Polícia Judiciária
The Polícia Judiciária is the main police branch of criminal investigation in Portugal, dedicated to fighting criminality, organized crime, terrorism, drugs, corruption and financial crimes...
for being a suspect of vagrancy
Vagrancy (people)
A vagrant is a person in poverty, who wanders from place to place without a home or regular employment or income.-Definition:A vagrant is "a person without a settled home or regular work who wanders from place to place and lives by begging;" vagrancy is the condition of such persons.-History:In...
, a euphemistic term used by the police in those days for homosexuality
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is romantic or sexual attraction or behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality refers to "an enduring pattern of or disposition to experience sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions" primarily or exclusively to people of the same...
, which the poet lived courageously in spite of persecution. This fact shows up several times in his writings in a veiled way ("Lisboa-os-Sustos") and was one of the causes of his intermittent stayings in Great Britain and France during the 1960s and 1970s. Later he talked publicly about this.
Works
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