Bustamante Sá (Rio de Janeiro RJ 1907 - idem 1988)
Painter, draftsman and teacher.
In 1926, Rubem Fortes Bustamante Sá entered the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes - Enba [National School of Fine Arts], where he took classes with Rodolfo Amoedo (1857 - 1941) and Augusto Bracet (1881 - 1960). A year later, he exhibited for the first time at the Exposição Geral de Belas Artes [General Exhibition of Fine Arts]. With other artists, he left Enba to found the Núcleo Bernardelli in 1931. He took part in the 1st Salão do Núcleo Bernardelli [Núcleo Bernardelli Salon] a year later. He was a pupil of Manoel Santiago (1897 - 1987) and often painted outdoors with his colleagues Milton Dacosta (1915 - 1988) and José Pancetti (1902 - 1958). In 1936, he won the silver medal at the Salão Nacional de Belas Artes [National Salon of Fine Arts] and, in 1938, the domestic travel prize, thanks to which he visited Salvador, Recife, Porto Alegre, Curitiba and São Paulo, recording the local landscapes. In 1949, he received the foreign travel prize. He went to Lisbon, Madrid and Paris. In the latter city, he attended the Académie Julian under the guidance of Chapelain-Midy and André Planson. When he returned to Rio de Janeiro in 1952, he began to take part in the Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna - SNAM [National Salon of Modern Art]. He held several exhibitions in Brazil and some abroad, such as in Thessaloniki, Greece, in 1974, Toronto, New York and South American countries. He was a teacher at the Associação Brasileira de Desenho [Brazilian Drawing Association], which he helped found, and at the Instituto Nacional de Educação de Surdos [National Institute for the Education of the Deaf], from which he retired. In 1986, the painter and critic Quirino Campofiorito (1902 - 1993) published a book on his painting.
Critical Commentary
Bustamante Sá is best known for his landscapes. However, according to the painter and critic Quirino Campofiorito, before his trip to Europe the painter also devoted himself to other genres of painting, owing to the need to win the prizes offered by the salons, since he came from a poor background and had to work to support his family.1 His involvement in the Núcleo Bernardelli is consistent with his social situation and also indicates an anti-academicism that includes criticism of the hierarchy of genres and of studio painting. But the institutions were academic at the time, and it was with Retrato do Pintor Gibson [Portrait of the Painter Gibson] (1948) that Bustamante received a trip abroad as a prize. The painting is dark and dominated by shades of gray. The sitter stands on the right modeling a sculpture in front of what appears to be a sketch on a canvas, still without color. The only warm tones are in the painter's skin and his red tie. Thanks to the award, Bustamante had direct contact with the European masters. He was especially interested in the landscapes of Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot (1796 - 1875) and Paul Cézanne (1839 - 1906), again according to Quirino Campofiorito.2 The importance of geometric forms in the visualization of nature, as understood by Cézanne, is a striking feature of the artist's paintings. His views have few curves and the forms are simplified. Zigzag brushstrokes are applied, forming planes of color, and do not stand out. In this, Bustamante's painting recalls that of the Núcleo Bernardelli teacher Bruno Lechowski and of his disciple José Pancetti, with whom Bustamante painted. Another characteristic of his work is the subdued tones. In general, there are no intense colors, and one passes from one color to another without abrupt shifts. Another color, only exceptionally.3
Notes
1 CAMPOFIORITO, Quirino. A pintura de Bustamante Sá. Rio de Janeiro: Cabicieri Editorial, 1986, p. 133-135.
2 Ibid., p. 36-38.
3 Ibid., p. 30.
Critiques
"In the particular case of seascapes, the distant horizons and the immense, translucent spaces of sky, sea and beach are always treated with a richness of color and matter, and with the uncontained eagerness of his temperament when stimulated. The jangada has been the target of the creative eagerness of our painters most drawn to Northeastern motifs. It is the striking element that so impressively identifies with the beach settings stretching along the entire Northeastern coast. (...) White or brightly colored, the sail stands out on the high sea, or even when the jangada rests on the sand, resplendent in the sun, adorning the scene with the constant movement caused by the wind. (...) Bustamante Sá, with his palette full of clear and transparent colors, recorded not only the trembling sails but, with equal precision, captured the atmospheric transparency and the luminosity that pervade sky, sea and beach".
Quirino Campofiorito
CAMPOFIORITO, Quirino. A Pintura de Bustamante Sá. Rio de Janeiro: Cabicieri Editorial, 1986.
Solo Exhibitions
1939 - Florianópolis SC - Solo, at Hotel Glória
1939 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Palace Hotel
1953 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Clube Assírio
1975 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Galeria Trevo
1982 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Maria Augusta Galeria de Arte
1982 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Galeria Escala
1982 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Galeria Trevo
1983 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Gauguin Galeria de Arte
1985 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Galeria Escala
1986 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Retrospectiva de Bustamante Sá [Bustamante Sá Retrospective], at Galeria Borghese
1987 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 80 Anos de Vida, 60 Anos de Arte [80 Years of Life, 60 Years of Art], at H. Stern
Group Exhibitions
1927 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 34ª Exposição Geral de Belas Artes [34th General Exhibition of Fine Arts], at Escola Nacional de Belas Artes
1928 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 35ª Exposição Geral de Belas Artes [35th General Exhibition of Fine Arts], at Escola Nacional de Belas Artes
1931 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Salão Revolucionário [Revolutionary Salon], at Escola Nacional de Belas Artes
1932 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 1º Salão do Núcleo Bernardelli [1st Núcleo Bernardelli Salon], at Sociedade Sul-Rio-Grandense de Cultura
1933 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 2º Salão do Núcleo Bernardelli [2nd Núcleo Bernardelli Salon], at Liceu de Artes e Ofícios
1933 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 39ª Exposição Geral de Belas Artes [39th General Exhibition of Fine Arts], at Escola Nacional de Belas Artes - honorable mention
1933 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Seis Artistas [Six Artists], at Studio Eros Volúsia
1934 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 3º Salão do Núcleo Bernardelli [3rd Núcleo Bernardelli Salon], at Escola Nacional de Belas Artes
1934 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 40º Salão Nacional de Belas Artes [40th National Salon of Fine Arts], at Escola Nacional de Belas Artes - bronze medal
1935 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 4º Salão do Núcleo Bernardelli [4th Núcleo Bernardelli Salon], at Escola Nacional de Belas Artes
1936 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 42º Salão Nacional de Belas Artes [42nd National Salon of Fine Arts], at Instituto Previdência - silver medal
1936 - São Paulo SP - 4º Salão Paulista de Belas Artes [4th São Paulo Fine Arts Salon]
1937 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Milton Dacosta e Bustamante Sá [Milton Dacosta and Bustamante Sá], at Galeria Santo Antonio
1938 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 44º Salão Nacional de Belas Artes [44th National Salon of Fine Arts], at Museu Nacional de Belas Artes - domestic travel prize
1939 - Porto Alegre RS - Salão do Instituto de Belas Artes do Rio Grande do Sul [Salon of the Rio Grande do Sul Institute of Fine Arts], at Instituto de Belas Artes - bronze medal
1944 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 50º Salão Nacional de Belas Artes [50th National Salon of Fine Arts], at Museu Nacional de Belas Artes
1945 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Artistas Plásticos do Partido Comunista [Visual Artists of the Communist Party], at Casa do Estudante
1947 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Salão Fluminense de Belas Artes [Rio de Janeiro State Fine Arts Salon] - Fagundes Varela Prize
1948 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Salão Fluminense de Belas Artes [Rio de Janeiro State Fine Arts Salon] - Antônio Parreiras Prize
1948 - São Paulo SP - 14º Salão Paulista de Belas Artes [14th São Paulo Fine Arts Salon], at Galeria Prestes Maia - bronze medal
1949 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 55º Salão Nacional de Belas Artes [55th National Salon of Fine Arts], at Museu Nacional de Belas Artes - foreign travel prize
1949 - São Paulo SP - 15º Salão Paulista de Belas Artes [15th São Paulo Fine Arts Salon], at Galeria Prestes Maia - small silver medal
1952 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 1º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [1st National Salon of Modern Art], at Museu de Arte Moderna
1953 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 2º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [2nd National Salon of Modern Art], at Museu Nacional de Belas Artes
1953 - São Paulo SP - 18º Salão Paulista de Belas Artes [18th São Paulo Fine Arts Salon], at Galeria Prestes Maia
1954 - Goiânia GO - Exposição do Congresso Nacional de Intelectuais [Exhibition of the National Congress of Intellectuals]
1954 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 6º Salão Municipal de Belas Artes [6th Municipal Fine Arts Salon], at Museu Nacional de Belas Artes - federal prize
1954 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Salão Preto e Branco [Black and White Salon], at Palácio da Cultura
1955 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 4º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [4th National Salon of Modern Art]
1955 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 7º Salão Municipal de Belas Artes [7th Municipal Fine Arts Salon] - municipal grand prize
1956 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 5º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [5th National Salon of Modern Art]
1957 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 6º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [6th National Salon of Modern Art]
1958 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 7º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [7th National Salon of Modern Art], at Museu de Arte Moderna
1958 - n.p. - 1º Salão Shell [1st Shell Salon] - 1st prize
1959 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 8º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [8th National Salon of Modern Art], at Museu de Arte Moderna
1960 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 9º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [9th National Salon of Modern Art], at Museu de Arte Moderna
1961 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 10º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [10th National Salon of Modern Art] - jury exemption
1962 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 11º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [11th National Salon of Modern Art]
1963 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 12º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [12th National Salon of Modern Art]
1965 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Mostra [Exhibition], at Galeria Nogasawa
1966 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 15º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [15th National Salon of Modern Art]
1973 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 22º Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna [22nd National Salon of Modern Art]
1974 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Mostra [Exhibition], at Galeria Samarte
1974 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - O Mar [The Sea], at Galeria Ibeu Copacabana
1977 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Mostra [Exhibition], at Galeria Sérgio Milliet - Funarte
1982 - São Paulo SP - Exposição Núcleo Bernardelli: arte brasileira nos anos 30 e 40 [Núcleo Bernardelli Exhibition: Brazilian Art in the 1930s and 1940s], at Acervo Galeria de Arte
1985 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 8º Salão Nacional de Artes Plásticas [8th National Visual Arts Salon], at Museu de Arte Moderna
1985 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Galeria Ibeu Copacabana 25 Anos: 1960-1985 [Galeria Ibeu Copacabana 25 Years: 1960-1985], at Instituto Brasil-Estados Unidos
1985 - São Paulo SP - 100 Obras Itaú [100 Itaú Works], at Museu de Arte de São Paulo
1985 - São Paulo SP - As Mães e a Flor na Visão de 33 Pintores [Mothers and Flowers in the Vision of 33 Painters], at Ranulpho Galeria de Arte
1986 - São Paulo SP - Tempo de Madureza [Time of Maturity], at Ranulpho Galeria de Arte
Posthumous Exhibitions
1989 - São Paulo SP - Pintura Brasil Século XX: obras do acervo do Banco Itaú [Brazilian Painting of the 20th Century: Works from the Banco Itaú Collection], at Itaugaleria
1989 - São Paulo SP - Trinta e Três Maneiras de Ver o Mundo [Thirty-Three Ways of Seeing the World], at Ranulpho Galeria de Arte
1996 - Osasco SP - 3ª Mostra de Arte [3rd Art Show], at Fundação Instituto de Ensino para Osasco
2000 - Caxias do Sul RS - Mostra Itinerante do Acervo do Margs [Margs Collection Traveling Exhibition]
2000 - Passo Fundo RS - Mostra Itinerante do Acervo do Margs [Margs Collection Traveling Exhibition]
2000 - Pelotas RS - Mostra Itinerante do Acervo do Margs [Margs Collection Traveling Exhibition]
2000 - Santa Maria RS - Mostra Itinerante do Acervo do Margs [Margs Collection Traveling Exhibition]
2003 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Arte em Movimento [Art in Motion], at Espaço BNDES
2003 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Tesouros da Caixa: arte moderna brasileira no acervo da Caixa [Caixa Treasures: Brazilian Modern Art in the Caixa Collection], at Conjunto Cultural da Caixa
Source: Itaú Cultural
