Candido Portinari

Candido Portinari (Brodowski, SP-1903 / Rio de Janeiro, RJ-1962)

Candido Portinari was one of the greatest icons of Brazilian art, born on December 29, 1903, in Brodowski, São Paulo. He gained worldwide recognition for his painting, which captures the soul of Brazil, with a focus on social dilemmas, landscapes, and the daily life of its people. He worked as a painter, printmaker, illustrator, and teacher, producing approximately five thousand works.

Among his most notable creations are the murals Guerra and Paz, depictions of figures such as Tiradentes and Saint Francis of Assisi, as well as portraits and scenes of Brazilian rural and urban life. Portinari was the Brazilian artist who achieved the greatest international prominence of his time, with works exhibited in institutions such as the MoMA and the U.S. Library of Congress.

Roots and Early Years

Born to Italian immigrants, he came into the world on a coffee farm in Brodowski, then part of the municipality of Batatais. His parents, Giovan Battista Portinari and Domenica Turcato, hailed from the province of Vicenza in the Veneto region. He grew up in a simple rural environment, where he displayed artistic talent from an early age. By six, he was already drawing, and in 1912 he participated in the restoration of the local church, his first significant artistic project.

Despite financial hardships, he began formal studies in Rio Preto. His life in the countryside and direct contact with the coffee plantations profoundly shaped his visual language, leaving an enduring mark on his identity as a Brazilian artist.

Early Artistic Career

At 15, he moved to Rio de Janeiro and enrolled at the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios. In 1922, he was accepted into the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes (ENBA), where he studied under Rodolfo Amoedo, Batista da Costa, Lucílio Albuquerque, and Carlos Chambelland. Although trained in classical academic techniques, he soon developed his own style, influenced by European avant-garde movements.

During the 1920s, his portraits began to attract attention. In 1928, he was awarded a study trip to Europe, settling in Paris, where he engaged directly with movements such as Expressionism and Cubism, without relinquishing his commitment to Brazilian social reality. During his stay, he met artists including Van Dongen and Othon Friesz, as well as Maria Martinelli, a Uruguayan whom he married and lived with for the rest of his life.

The Influence of Europe and Return to Brazil

Between 1929 and 1930, he visited several European countries, including France, Italy, and Spain. While these experiences were crucial for his technical development, he avoided following fleeting trends in favor of an authentic painting style rooted in Brazil.

His return to Brazil in 1931 marked a period of recognition and consolidation. His works began to depict rural life, agricultural labor, and social inequalities. In 1935, the painting Café was exhibited at the International Exhibition in Pittsburgh and acquired by the MoMA in New York, expanding his international presence. In 1939, he produced three large panels for the Brazilian pavilion at the New York World’s Fair, and in the early 1940s he created murals for the United States Library of Congress. During this time, Portinari was also deeply impressed by Picasso’s Guernica, which further influenced his critical approach.

Monumental Works and Social Engagement

Between 1937 and 1945, he executed large-scale murals commissioned by the government of Getúlio Vargas, including the panels for the Ministry of Education and Health in Rio de Janeiro and the mural for the Chapel of São Francisco at the Pampulha Complex in Belo Horizonte. Even in official commissions, he maintained a critical stance, addressing themes such as poverty, injustice, and suffering in the hinterlands.

The series War and Peace, composed of two 14-meter-high murals, was commissioned by the UN and completed in 1956. It is considered a milestone in his career, combining technical refinement with a humanist message—one of the most powerful expressions of his commitment to social and universal causes. The panels were exhibited at the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theater in 2010, thanks to the efforts of his son João Candido.

Politically engaged, Candido Portinari was affiliated with the Brazilian Communist Party and ran for federal deputy in 1945 and senator in 1947. Persecuted by the Dutra government, he went into exile in Uruguay between 1947 and 1948. During this period, he delivered the lecture Sentido Social del Arte in Buenos Aires, advocating for the educational role of art and the artist’s commitment to popular causes. In this lecture, Portinari argued that social art should address the masses and serve as a vehicle for social transformation, reflecting the pain and aspirations of the people.

Final Years and Legacy

From the 1950s onward, his health was compromised by lead poisoning from paints. Despite this, he continued to produce work until his last solo exhibition in 1961. He was honored with the gold medal of the International Peace Prize in 1950 and was named Best Painter of the Year by the International Fine-Arts Council in 1955. In 1958, he was the only Brazilian artist invited to the exhibition 50 Years of Modern Art at the Palais des Beaux-Arts in Brussels.

Candido Portinari passed away on February 6, 1962, at the age of 58, due to complications from lead poisoning. His legacy lives on through his vast body of work and his lasting influence on generations of artists and scholars of Brazilian art.

In 1979, his son João Candido Portinari established the Portinari Project, aimed at preserving and promoting his artistic production. The initiative gathered documents, studies, and records that expanded knowledge of his artistic trajectory in Brazil and abroad. His former residence in Brodowski was transformed into the Portinari House Museum, a cultural space that preserves his memory and promotes educational and artistic activities.

More than a painter, he made a profound contribution to national culture. His pursuit of a modern language rooted in Brazilian social reality cemented his historical and aesthetic significance. In 2012, João Candido stated that the panels War and Peace encapsulate the essential message of the artist: an ethical reflection on violence, injustice, and citizenship. Candido Portinari continues to be recognized as one of the foremost names in Brazilian painting and as an artist who saw in art a means of social transformation.

Commented Works

Candido Portinari is the author of the drawing The Foot and the Axe, a fascinating and technically refined work executed in charcoal on kraft paper. According to the Catalogue Raisonné of Candido Portinari, it is one of the “transfer drawings” created as part of the mural Pau-Brasil, produced in 1938 for the Grand Audience Hall of the Ministry of Education.

As a transfer drawing, The Foot and the Axe demonstrates remarkable finish. But what defines this type of work? After conceiving and obtaining approval of the subject from the patron, Portinari created a detailed drawing of the final project. This life-size drawing was transferred onto thick paper or cardboard, with contours marked or perforated with charcoal. It was then aligned on the still-damp wall, allowing the lines to be transferred. The artist would then trace the contours and apply color, leaving no room for error, as any correction required redoing the entire fresco section—making the precision of the drawing essential.

In this large-format fragment, measuring approximately 280 x 250 cm, Portinari’s mastery of human anatomy is evident. The expressive power of the forms and the technical richness even surpass the use of color. The distorted and elongated figures evoke a dramatic effect, with heroic proportions that render emphasis on ethnic differences unnecessary. The work reflects Candido Portinari’s commitment to a universal visual language, centered on the expressive strength of line and social sensitivity.

Valerio Pennacchi-Pennacchi, 2006.

Three Friends on the Hill[8]
C. T. Portinari (Brodowski, 1903 – Rio de Janeiro, 1962)
Oil on canvas
100 x 82 cm, 1938

"Brazilian art will only exist when our artists completely abandon useless traditions and devote themselves wholeheartedly to the sincere interpretation of our environment."
Candido Portinari
Newspaper "A Manhã"; June, 1926.

This work is a perfect example of the "brown series," also known as "brodosquiana," a phase beginning around 1933–1934 that gradually evolved until 1940, without major ruptures—a hallmark of Candido Portinari’s continuous artistic trajectory.

Considering Portinari's immense prestige and the widespread recognition of his oeuvre, we can assert that this piece represents a period in which highly acclaimed and important works were produced, such as O Circo, O Futebol, and O Morro, the latter belonging to the MoMA collection in New York.

The painting presents a surface dominated by brown, earth, and purple tones, with touches of light illuminating three prominent female figures. These figures are characterized by a departure from conventional proportions and elongated silhouettes, imparting a clear "neoclassical" orientation—a revival of pictorial tradition, as Jean Cocteau expressed with the term "rappel à l’ordre." Spontaneous brushstrokes replace the humble hill shelters, and chiaroscuro effects frame the main subject, creating a sense of quietude that contrasts with the severity of the horizon.

The pictorial execution of this work exemplifies Portinari’s break from academic conventions, marking a phase of consistent human presence—a central element in his later work.

Although numerous works already enrich Portinari scholarship, with major theorists, critics, and researchers exploring the breadth of his production, the discussion of his art is far from closed. As the saying goes, Portinari lives on.

Valerio Pennacchi-Pennacchi, 2004.

Works by Candido Portinari

Given that his output may reach approximately 5,000 works, this selection of 30 pieces—including oil paintings, crayon and graphite drawings, metal engravings, and lithographs—offers a significant sample of the artist’s oeuvre. Through his monumental murals on Brazil's economic evolution, in the current Palácio Capanema[9], Portinari reveals one of the most significant moments in his career, though far less known than the “War and Peace” panels at the UN[10]. Originally conceived as the MEC headquarters, the building demonstrates the application of functionalist architecture inspired by Corbusier in Brazil while introducing new elements. Constructed between 1936–1945, it reflected the State’s aspiration to project a sense of modernity and intellectual progress, evident both in the building's design and the historical context in which it emerged.

To discuss one of Brazil’s most esteemed artists, following the monumental studies by Antonio Bento (de Araujo Lima)[11] and Antonio Carlos Callado[12], is almost tautological, as these authors have thoroughly examined, clarified, and analyzed all of Portinari’s social concerns and his observations on human behavior. “Candinho” depicted these through his own rigorous lens, drawing partly from European modern art (1928–1931), which he observed, analyzed, and selectively incorporated into his language (i.e., the Paris School and Retour à l’Ordre), gaining great admiration both nationally and internationally. As promised, in Europe he studied and researched extensively while painting little—an intelligent strategy to avoid submission to a new colonialism endorsed by Enba.

With a comprehensive perspective, we distinguish a work with modern figurative primacy, variably related to Cubism and Surrealism. We are speaking of "Modernism," whose merit lay in deconstructing traditional aesthetic systems...

Calm your spirits, take a deep breath, and seek the essence in the portrait of a Black girl, which, like most of the other drawings, is completed through perception, as we are involuntarily drawn to the extraordinary power of her facial expression.

Consider the density, the weight of the bodies, the volume of the muscles, and the concentrated strength in the feet and hands—the sculptural forms as seen in the "cane cutters."

Even when examining "the rabbit" (lot no. ...), we observe volume and a "state of alert" so convincingly represented through a single eye and extended ears (lot no. ...).

In "Frevo," with figures seemingly unanchored to the ground, the deformities of the dancers’ hands and feet are evident, symbolizing their manual and agricultural labor.

It is the enduring mark of genius!
Valerio Pennacchi-Pennacchi, 2012.

Critiques

Portinari, with his Retirantes, his Meninos de Brodowski, and his depictions of rural laborers, marked the chasm that still exists between Brazilian nature—the overwhelmingly grand country that comes to mind when we utter, almost as if invoking a spell, “Brazil”—and the little world that man, imitating Europe and the United States, has constructed in Brazil. His painting from that period is a protest against this lack of intimacy with what is called Brazilian reality. It is a cry against the fact that we remain so detached from the landscape, instead of being triumphantly rooted in it, as are the feet of the Black people, the caboclos, the Tapuias, the cafusos, the curibocas, and the immigrants.
Antonio Callado - Writer
In: Callado, Antonio. Retrato de Portinari. MAM-RJ, 1956.

The last time I saw Portinari, his eyes were brimming with tears. If I recall correctly, it was at the Castelo; I was looking for a ride and he was coming with his Maria. We spoke very little. He was thin; he embraced me deeply and said: “Imagine, I cannot paint anymore, the doctor forbids it.” It was the late afternoon, when the light falls at an angle, and Portinari’s blue eyes, with tears he could not shed, seemed to tell stories about his immortal work. Maria did not allow much time for conversation; he was not to become emotional. I felt the urge to follow him and say: You have already given us so much. You have already offered the greatest legacy a painter can give his land, already enriched us with a wealth that will endure through time, so now you may rest without worry for not painting anymore. They were already far away, and the words died in my mind.

Only after Portinari’s death did I visit the UN and witness, in the splendor of his artistic peak, the panel War and Peace. Every figure appeared to me faceted: a star or precious stone, radiating its own light, and I wanted to tell everyone strolling through the hall—men and women from all corners of the world: Look, here is our glory, here is the panel of our greatest painter. I too was born in Brazil, like him, Portinari…
Dinah Silveira de Queiroz
In: Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (Rio de Janeiro, RJ);
Museu de Arte de São Paulo (São Paulo, SP).
Portinari Desenhista. RJ, 1977.

Candido Portinari elevated us with his work as a painter. He was one of the most important men of our time, for from his hands arose color and poetry, drama and hope for our people. With his brushes, he delved deeply into our reality. The Brazilian land and people—peasants, retirantes, children, saints and circus performers, the animals and the landscape—were the material he worked with to build his immortal oeuvre.
Jorge Amado - Writer
In: Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (Rio de Janeiro, RJ);
Museu de Arte de São Paulo (São Paulo, SP).
Portinari Desenhista. RJ, 1977.

In these days of disorientation, of precarious balance, and of cultural anemia, the example of Candido Portinari’s powerful art—so rich in meaning, substance, and solid technique—reaches us like a refreshing wind, showing that the great Latin vein has not been exhausted but, on the contrary, enriched with new themes, still alive thanks to the merit of a son of immigrants who believes that painting is a serious, arduous, and useful craft for humanity.
Eugenio Luraghi
Poet, Writer, and Art Critic
In: Palazzo Reale (Milan, ITA). Exhibition of Candido Portinari. Eugenio Luraghi et al. Milan, Italy, 1963.

Before these weeping figures, these seahorses that speak to the deepest part of my soul, I feel a state of absolute critical inhibition. All I can do is admire…
Manuel Bandeira - Writer
In: The inauguration of Portinari’s canvases at the new Rádio Tupi headquarters.
A Manhã, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 1942.

"From Café onwards, the human being, understood in social and historical terms, becomes the central focus of Portinari’s art, aimed at capturing both natural and psychological reality, with an expressiveness at times serene and solemn, at others desperate and excessive. This new approach guided him, like the Mexican artists, towards muralism, where he sought to magnify his vision of a national imagery, rooted in labor and rural life. (...) After 1947, Portinari’s art underwent a new transformation. Both expressive drama and social concern were set aside. (...) Portinari’s new themes are predominantly historical—A Primeira Missa no Brasil, Tiradentes (...). The trip to Israel seems to have granted a new dimension to Portinari’s art. (...) While seduced by color, Portinari began experimenting with geometric abstraction, influenced by the crystalline Cubism of the French painter Jacques Villon, whom he had admired for some time. (...) The search for geometric rigor combined with a clear, resonant palette did not, however, mask the sense of emptiness that Portinari’s painting experienced in the later years of his artistic activity."
Annateresa Fabris
Portinari, Pintor Social. Master’s Thesis in Visual Arts, ECA/USP, São Paulo, 1977.

"(...) When he began addressing this theme (retirantes), there were not yet significant social concerns in Portinari’s work. Only families camped on the outskirts of their village appear. (...) They were not yet called 'retirantes.' Some of these compositions possess undeniable plastic beauty (...) They began to be produced from 1935 onwards. (...) Only later did the Retirantes series take on a distinctly social dimension in the Brazilian master’s career. Not solely due to the onset of the Second World War in 1939, but because of the appeal to expressive resources that would characterize the most remarkable part of his oeuvre. This social phase culminates with the large canvas Retirantes and the composition O Morto na Rede, both in the MASP collection. (...) The Retirantes painted in the artist’s later years were no longer merely social paintings. They also became solutions to formal problems. (...) In any case, across its three distinct phases, Portinari’s Retirantes remain among the most significant and poignant works in Brazilian art of all time."
Antônio Bento
Portinari. Rio de Janeiro: Leo Christiano, 1980. p.169.

"The world of Portinari: as we, drawn to it, move through it in thought, filled with awe—perhaps fear—but accepting its macabre elements with the same naturalness with which our unconscious embraces the most fantastic dreams that disturb our sleep, we gradually perceive that we are not facing a merely imaginary world, but an intensified and fantastical recreation of the world Portinari knows, his homeland, Brazil. His paintings attest to this. In them we see the landscape, we tread the ground; we see its workers and their poverty—not depicted with anguish, but depicted. And depicted with love. Not love for misery and incessant labor, but love for women, men, children—who, whether rich or poor, are objects of his affection. He paints them with full acceptance. 'Blessed are the humble' seems to be his heartfelt message. And without the conditions of life in their Brazilian land, nothing in their existence appears enviable; yet the life they lead, through the goodness they radiate, is worth living. They work; they marry and raise families; their children play. And there are no more eloquent works in the treasure of the arts than these, which depict the happiness of children at play."
Rockwell Kent
CALLADO, Antonio. Candido Portinari. In: CANDIDO Portinari. São Paulo: Finambrás, 1997. P. 11-19.

"(...) It cannot be said, however, that there was an official aesthetic, understood as a style adopted and imposed by the authorities. Therefore, it cannot be claimed that Portinari was an official painter (...). What occurred was rather a recuperation by the authorities of tactics employed by the Modernist movement, where the government would use support of Portinari as an example of its patronage. But the absence of an official art does not mean that Portinari’s style could not also be co-opted by the ideology of power. Regarding thematic aspects, if Portinari’s orientation did not align with a clear and epic patriotism, as the government may have desired, it does not mean it could not be appropriated. The dignity he confers on the worker, the prominence he gives to the common people, all the subjects he addressed could not be denied by a power for whom social issues (even within a populist perspective) constituted a fundamental basis of policy. Portinari’s painting could be co-opted primarily because his formal conception was compatible with the symbolic stratification of a conservative ideology. (...)"
Carlos Zilio
In, A querela do Brasil: a questão da identidade da arte brasileira: a obra de Tarsila, Di Cavalcanti e Portinari/1922-1945. 2nd edition, Rio de Janeiro: Relume-Dumará, 1997. p.112.

"Candido Portinari began gaining resonance in the Rio art scene between 1928 and 1931, a period following the most intense eruption of Modernism in Brazil, when the historical avant-gardes began to be seen as part of the legacy of Western art history, rather than as absolute paradigms for new artists. Emerging after the retreat of the avant-gardes, Portinari’s work engaged with numerous visual traditions of European art, from the Early Renaissance to the work of his contemporary Pablo Picasso. Through his astonishing ability to absorb diverse approaches, Portinari navigated with ease the formal schemes created by Botticelli, Picasso, Pisanello, De Chirico, Holbein, Paul Delvaux... Portinari produced his works by experimenting with pictorial procedures of both ancient and contemporary artists, always adding to each of these 'experiments' solutions of strong personal character, which still await deeper understanding.

(...) Back in Brazil, no longer bearing academic traits, but also without the radicalism of the avant-garde artists, Portinari was recognized by the protagonists of the local Modernist movement (Mário de Andrade, Manuel Bandeira, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, among others) as a key driver in the creation of modern art in Brazil: an art striving to distance itself from the conventions of the Academy, yet attentive not to 'lose itself' in abstraction or other avant-garde 'excesses'."
Tadeu Chiarelli
In: Arte Internacional Brasileira. São Paulo: Lemos, 1999. p. 175-181.

Testimonials

"Brazilian art will only exist when our artists completely abandon useless traditions and devote themselves wholeheartedly to the sincere interpretation of our environment."
Candido Portinari
Interview originally published in the newspaper A Manhã, June 1926.
In BALBI, Marilia. Portinari: o pintor do Brasil. São Paulo: Boitempo, 2003. p. 26.

"I do not intend to understand politics. My convictions, which are profound, come from my poor childhood, my life of work and struggle, and because I am an artist. I feel compassion for those who suffer and wish to help remedy the social injustice that exists. Any conscious artist feels the same."
Candido Portinari
Statement made to the poet Vinícius de Moraes and published posthumously, March 1962.
In BALBI, Marilia. Portinari: o pintor do Brasil. São Paulo: Boitempo, 2003. p. 12.

"I came here to see Palaninho, after having visited so many museums, so many castles, and so many civilized people. Back in Brazil, I never thought about Palaninho. From here, I started seeing my land more clearly—I started seeing Brodowski as it truly is. Here, I have no desire to do anything. I will paint Palaninho, I will paint those people in their clothes and colors. When I return, I will see if I can portray my land. I wear patent leather shoes, wide trousers, and a collar, but deep down I am dressed like someone from Palaninho."
Candido Portinari
Excerpt from a letter sent from his trip to Paris to Rosalita Candido Mendes.
In BALBI, Marilia. Portinari: o pintor do Brasil. São Paulo: Boitempo, 2003. p. 28.

Portinari: his thoughts, his quotes

"I ran, still managing to catch the train in motion. The last image etched in my memory was of my father rising to say goodbye—I can still see him... he had no time to say anything to me"...
Speaking about his move to Rio de Janeiro.

"The aim of my painting is feeling. For me, technique is merely a means—yet an indispensable one."
Statement that scandalized his academic masters at ENBA.

"The journey to Europe is useful for a young observer. We have time to step back. We have the courage to return to the starting point. I am young."
On the values he learned during his years in Paris.

"I align with those who believe there is no neutral art. Even without any intention, the painting always conveys a social meaning."
Beginning to flirt with socialism.

"As for modern painting, it clearly tends toward mural painting. That said, I do not claim that easel painting loses its value, for the method of execution is irrelevant."
Explaining his shift to frescoes.

"And the cause of all this is still the government, which obstinately shows no direct interest in the arts, unlike what is observed in Mexico."
Complaining about the lack of government support for exhibitions and shows.

"I speak to honest men, sincere Brazilians, true patriots, so that they may consider this matter with detachment."
After completing the series of paintings "Retirantes".

"They are preventing me from living."
Commenting on medical orders forbidding him to continue painting to avoid worsening his intoxication.

"And having thus set aside the essential, leaving the rest to the doctors of Byzantium, he abruptly falls silent and flies forever to never again, the infinite hand, the blue-eyed hand of Candido Portinari."
Carlos Drummond de Andrade, in the poem "The Hand," dedicated to his friend upon his death.

Interviews

João Candido Portinari – Projeto Portinari / FAPESP Agency: 11/03/2010 / By Fábio de Castro

A researcher in telecommunications engineering and mathematics, João Candido Portinari left his academic career behind 35 years ago to devote himself fully to a grand project: locating, digitizing, and cataloging over 5,000 works by his father, Candido Portinari (1903-1962), one of Brazil’s foremost artists.

The Projeto Portinari has made nearly the entirety of the artist’s work available digitally. According to João Candido, the initiative serves to address a perverse consequence of his father’s renown: with most of his paintings scattered in private collections worldwide, the artist who dedicated his life to portraying the Brazilian people had his work largely inaccessible to the general public.

After 20 years of research, described by João Candido as “a true detective work,” the entire body of work was cataloged. Over the past 13 years, Projeto Portinari has showcased his father’s work across Brazil, organizing traveling exhibitions for remote communities, with a special focus on children.

The project’s next step will be monumental: temporarily bringing back to Brazil Guerra e Paz—two 14-meter-high panels conceived specifically for the United Nations headquarters in New York.

With the UN building undergoing major renovations, Projeto Portinari secured custody of the panels until 2013. Completed in 1956, the work was Portinari’s last and ultimately led to his death. During the five years spent on the 140-square-meter panels, the artist was already suffering from lead poisoning from the oil paints. He would pass away in early 1962 due to the intoxication.

Regarded by Portinari himself as his finest work, the Guerra e Paz panels will be presented in December at the Municipal Theatre of Rio de Janeiro, the city where they were shown to the Brazilian public only once before being shipped to the United States 53 years ago. Following the exhibition, the panels will undergo restoration, a process open to public observation that will last several months. After restoration, the panels will travel to various cities, accompanied by 120 preparatory studies executed by Portinari between 1952 and 1956.

On October 21, an exhibition featuring reproductions of the 25 works by Portinari illustrating FAPESP’s 2009 Activity Report opened at the Foundation’s headquarters in São Paulo. On this occasion, João Candido granted the following interview to FAPESP Agency:

Projeto Portinari digitized nearly all of your father’s works. What were the challenges in surveying such an extensive body of work?
Indeed, it is an extensive oeuvre. We managed to catalog over 5,000 works. This number matched our initial estimate, based on the assumption that he produced roughly one work every three days over about 40 years, including large panels and murals that could take several months or years to complete. When we began the survey, the situation was dramatic, as the whereabouts of most works were unknown; there were no museums, no catalogues, and books on his life and work were out of print. It was detective work that took many years, since the works were dispersed not only in private collections in Brazil but across many countries. We found works in the Americas, Finland, the former Czechoslovakia, Canada, South Africa, Israel, Haiti, and many other countries.

How long did this process take?
This phase of tracking, locating, cataloguing, and digitizing consumed the first twenty years of the project entirely. It was an adventure that succeeded only thanks to the support of Brazilian society. This immense work was not limited to compiling the artworks; we also gathered over 30,000 documents.

What is the nature of this documentation?
All kinds of documents, including 9,000 letters that Portinari exchanged with intellectuals and artists of his time, such as Mário de Andrade, Manuel Bandeira, Graciliano Ramos, José Lins do Rego, Luís Carlos Prestes, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Cecília Meireles, Jorge Amado, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, and many others. It is an extraordinary treasure. In addition, we have 12,000 press clippings spanning from 1920 to the present day. Beyond compiling this material, we also produced new documents. We conducted an oral history program that, over the years, interviewed 74 of Portinari’s contemporaries. This resulted in 130 hours of video recordings, which go beyond discussing Portinari or art, addressing aesthetic, cultural, social, and political concerns of that generation. All of this is consolidated in a website, where anyone can access the entire documentation.

Does the Portinari Project have a physical headquarters, or is it mainly virtual?
Our headquarters are at PUC-RJ in Rio de Janeiro, but you are right to say that it is primarily virtual. The project could exist anywhere, as we do not hold any original works; we only gather content and research about the artist. In the future, we plan to create a Portinari Museum, where the public could encounter the artist’s entire body of work in one place. We would do this with high-definition reproductions. We estimate that compiling high-quality reproductions of 5,000 works would be more feasible than creating a museum with just ten original pieces. This was the approach FAPESP took with the exhibition of reproductions currently at its headquarters.

Can we say that, in terms of the scope of his work, Portinari is little known?
Yes, this was one of the main motivations for the project and also fuels our dream of one day having a Portinari Museum. My father used to say that his work was dedicated to the people, yet its fate suffered a cruel irony: today, the public has little access to his work, which is scattered across private collections and museums worldwide. This prompted Antonio Callado’s reflection: “segregated in private collections, in bank halls, Candinho becomes invisible. Will our greatest painter continue to be fragmented, like the Tiradentes he painted?”

With the completion of the cataloguing and digitization of his works, has the Portinari Project fulfilled its mission?
Not at all; on the contrary, we believe the true work began once we had gathered, catalogued, cross-referenced, and meticulously researched all the materials. Since then, we have developed a series of initiatives. The most important of these is our work with children, carried out over the past thirteen years: the Brazil of Portinari.

How is this work carried out?
We visit schools, cultural centers, and municipal offices in every Brazilian state. We also reach hospitals, riverside communities, and prisons. But the priority is presenting the work to children. For example, we held an exhibition on a boat in the Pantanal, welcoming children aboard. In 2009, we partnered with the Brazilian Navy and navigated the Amazon and its tributaries, spending nineteen days on the Purus River. Onboard, residents of underserved communities are introduced to Portinari’s work and receive medical and dental care, official documents, and other services.

How do the children react?
Sometimes children have a much sharper visual perception than adults. They become deeply engaged and immediately understand what the painter conveys. The results have been extraordinary. We aim to encourage children to reflect critically on the reality of the world. The idea is to immerse them in Portinari’s work and his powerful message of non-violence, fraternity, solidarity, compassion, and respect for the sacredness of life. None of this would be possible without the strength of Portinari’s work.

Can we say that the strength of Portinari’s work stems from his concern with social issues?
Yes, and that is very significant. My father’s work was marked by relentless experimentation—to the point that critics often claimed there were ten different painters within his oeuvre. Yet the theme remained constant: a profound social concern. His style and means of expression evolved over time. He valued technique, stating that without it, expressing what resides in the soul would be impossible, yet he emphasized that his true subject was humanity. This deep desire for solidarity and compassion is consistently present throughout his work.

Is the marginalized figure the central character in his work?
The marginalized figure is absolutely central. He grew up in a coffee-producing region of São Paulo, a crossroads for migrants from the Northeast. This left an indelible mark on the young boy, who witnessed the tragic conditions of families traveling under inhumane circumstances. This early experience awakened in him an unconditional empathy for the excluded. I would say this sense of solidarity—and of outrage and denunciation against violence and injustice—is one of the fundamental keys to understanding Portinari. This focus on exclusion finds its ultimate expression in his final work, the monumental panels Guerra e Paz. Here, the marginalized figure represents all of humanity, subjected to the ravages of war and deprived of peace.

What other themes are important in Portinari’s work?
From this central concern with social exclusion, his themes are broad, addressing universal issues while also offering a grand portrayal of Brazil. Few people know, for example, that Portinari was one of the greatest sacred painters in the world. It is extraordinary how often he painted Christ and biblical scenes. His sacred oeuvre even led Alceu Amoroso Lima—a major Catholic thinker—to pose an intriguing paradox: how could a communist painter like Portinari approach sacred art with such fervor?

Was it truly a paradox?
Amoroso Lima himself concluded there was no paradox after visiting Brodowski, Portinari’s hometown, and meeting his mother, grandmother, and aunts. He realized it was a typical Italian matriarchal family of devout Catholics. There was no contradiction: Portinari was a man of ancestral mysticism who never abandoned it. He refused to follow directives from the Russian Communist Party that socialist painters should adhere to the canons of socialist realism. Luis Carlos Prestes, his friend, recognized this dimension and did not impose any restrictions on my father within the Communist Party.

Beyond religious themes, what else is prominent in his work?
By championing the cause of the disadvantaged, Portinari became one of the greatest painters of Black subjects in the Americas. This was noted by Assis Chateaubriand, who wrote about the presence of Africa in my father’s work: “Portinari is the greatest and most extraordinary painter of Black people that humanity has seen. He senses Africa, its magic, its mysteries, its vitality, as no other artist with a brush ever has.” Childhood is also a recurring theme. In his work, it is poetic and lyrical—a Brazilian countryside childhood, humble yet lived under the stars, in nature, playing outdoors with animals. This is richly depicted in his work, imbued with poetry. Labor is another key theme. The worker recurs throughout his trajectory. All these elements are treated in a way that always presents a dialectic between drama and poetry, fury and tenderness, tragedy and lyricism. At any point in Portinari’s career, this dialectic is evident.

You are a researcher in telecommunications engineering. How was your academic career? Are you still active in the field?
I studied mathematics in France and there I applied to engineering schools, eventually graduating in telecommunications. I completed my doctorate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), still in electrical engineering, though my interests had already shifted entirely back to mathematics. After ten years abroad, in 1966 I was invited by PUC Rio de Janeiro to help establish their Department of Mathematics. I was 28 years old. The following year I became department head and spent thirteen years fully absorbed in research, teaching, and administration. In 1979, we conceived the Portinari Project. I quickly realized it would be impossible to balance both pursuits, as the project expanded, and unfortunately I had to step away from mathematics.

Guerra e Paz in Brazil – Interview with João Cândido Portinari

Interview with Fala Cultura

Fifty-four years ago, Cândido Portinari’s most powerful work—the panels Guerra e Paz—left Brazil for their permanent home: the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Now, for the first time in over half a century, the public—first in Brazil, and then worldwide—will be able to experience in person the human strength and profound message of hope and peace painted across these monumental panels. Thanks to the work of the Portinari Project, the panels will tour several cities until 2013, when they will be returned to the UN.

Guerra e Paz are two panels, each approximately 14 by 10 meters, painted in oil on naval plywood. While one depicts all the horrors and evils of war, the other presents an ethereal, hopeful vision of times of peace, creating a striking contrast.

The work was commissioned by the Brazilian government as a gift to the UN, and Cândido Portinari devoted four years to their creation—working tirelessly despite knowing he was being poisoned by the toxins in his paints.

Unfortunately, Portinari could not witness the inauguration of the panels in New York—due to his affiliation with the Communist Party, he was barred from entering the US during the Cold War.

For security reasons, the UN building lobby, where the panels are installed, is generally inaccessible to the public. However, with the announcement of a major renovation of the UN building, an unprecedented opportunity arose to exhibit the panels in other countries.

In 2010, Guerra e Paz finally returned to Brazilian soil. They were displayed at the Rio de Janeiro Municipal Theater—evoking the ceremony held before the panels departed for New York in 1956, at the same venue. Over twelve days, the exhibition attracted more than 44,000 visitors.

Starting tomorrow (7), São Paulo will have the opportunity to experience this magnificent work. The chosen venue is the Hall of Acts at the Memorial of Latin America. In addition to the panels—displayed for the first time after restoration—visitors will also be able to view 100 original preparatory studies for the work. The exhibition will remain open until April 21.

To mark this milestone in Brazil’s visual arts, we spoke exclusively with João Cândido Portinari, son of Cândido Portinari and director of the Portinari Project. Here is the interview:

I imagine that bringing Guerra e Paz to Brazil must have been quite complicated, both due to the scale of the work and the negotiations involved. Could you tell us a bit about how this process unfolded?
Well, the entire process began ten years ago, in 2002. We were preparing the Centenary celebrations of Portinari, which would take place the following year [2003], and the idea arose to exhibit the preparatory studies along with the panels at the United Nations headquarters.
However, the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center were still very recent, having occurred just the year before, and security regulations were much stricter. So we realized it would be impossible to hold the exhibition in that space.
In 2007, I returned to New York to deliver the book about Guerra e Paz to each UN delegate. This was a way to bring the panels out of “storage,” to bring them back into the light.

Bring them into the light?
Exactly. The panels live in a paradox. They are “invisible,” inaccessible to the public.
You know that traditionally, it is the Brazilian delegation that opens the UN sessions with a speech. I researched and read each of these speeches, and none mentioned Guerra e Paz. It was only in 2007 that President Lula concluded his speech at the United Nations with a reference to the work.
“Upon entering this building, delegates can see a work of art gifted by Brazil to the United Nations 50 years ago. These are the murals ‘Guerra’ and ‘Paz,’ painted by the great artist Cândido Portinari (…) The artist’s message is simple yet powerful: to transform affliction into hope, war into peace, is the essence of the United Nations’ mission. Brazil will continue to work to ensure that this high aspiration becomes reality.” (Luís Inácio Lula da Silva, UN speech, 2007)
Guerra e Paz demonstrates that Portinari did not work in the abstract; the work conveys a very strong ethical message, which remains relevant—perhaps more so than ever.

And when did the idea to bring the panels to Brazil arise?
When I went to the UN in 2007 to deliver the books to the delegates, I learned about the building’s renovation, scheduled from 2009 to 2013. As soon as I returned to Brazil, I realized this would be a unique opportunity to secure the panels during the renovation period.
We contacted the government, and Minister Celso Amorim made an official request to the UN. Of course, in order to obtain custody of Guerra e Paz, they imposed many requirements, such as restoration of the panels and insurance. In this process, government support was essential, especially the dedication of Vice President José de Alencar.
We managed to meet all requirements, and on December 22, 2010, a ceremony was held at the Theatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro. That ceremony reminded me greatly of the inaugural event in 1956, which I attended, also at the Theatro Municipal, with the presence of President Juscelino Kubitschek.
After the brief exhibition at the Theatro Municipal, which drew over 44,000 visitors, the work went for restoration at an open studio, also in Rio de Janeiro. Now, in São Paulo, it will be displayed alongside the preparatory studies for the first time.

And regarding the Portinari Project? Maintaining the legacies of Brazilian artists is often a challenge – and in this context, the Portinari Project is a success story. What, in your opinion, is its secret?
We have been working on the Project for 33 years, and it is a constant struggle to keep it alive. Support for culture in Brazil is still complicated. Yet we have achieved significant milestones: for instance, we have cataloged 5,200 works and 30,000 documents related to Portinari, and a large portion of this material is available on the Portinari Project website, open and free, and widely consulted.
“Guerra e Paz conveys a very strong ethical message, which remains relevant, perhaps more so than ever.” I believe one factor that has greatly helped the Project’s continuity is the natural solidarity of Brazilians. We always find strong support, both for bringing Guerra e Paz and for other initiatives, which has been essential.
Another crucial factor is that the Portinari Project was born and nurtured in a university environment. Curiously, many projects operate independently of universities. But this proximity allows constant innovation, keeping us in contact with all new developments, including science and technology that can be applied to our project.

To conclude our interview, is there a message you would like to leave for our readers in São Paulo, regarding what they can expect from the exhibition starting tomorrow?
They should not miss it, because it is deeply moving. Certainly, they will leave the exhibition carrying this message of humanity, with a broader perspective.

A historic and unique moment

Alongside assistants, Portinari paints the panels "Guerra" and "Paz" at the TV Tupi warehouse in Rio de Janeiro, 1955.
Globo Comunicação e Participações S.A.

“The panels Guerra e Paz undoubtedly represent the best work I have ever done. I dedicate them to humanity.”
Cândido Portinari.

The phrase, spoken by the Brazilian artist Cândido Portinari (1903-1962), attempts to convey the magnitude of the panels currently on display at the Memorial da América Latina in São Paulo until May 20, 2012. Each mural measures 14 meters high by 10 meters wide and weighs over a ton, yet the grandeur of the works cannot be measured solely by their size, but by the moving message of peace they convey to the world.

“This is not merely an art exhibition. It is a profound ethical and humanistic message addressing one of the world’s most pressing issues today: violence, lack of citizenship, social injustice. This has been the central message of Portinari’s entire life, distilled in these final works he left behind,” said João Candido Portinari.

João Candido, the artist’s son, is responsible for the realization of the project that brought the works to Brazil.

Completed in 1956, the works remain current. The expressions of suffering on the panel depicting War, for instance, can be compared to photographs of mothers recently affected by the conflict in Syria. According to João Candido, this comparison was made by a professor from Uberlândia (MG) who visited the exhibition and sent him an email showing a photomontage comparing the Syrian mother to Portinari’s painting.

“She was in a state of despair absolutely identical to that of the woman in the War panel,” João Candido said.

All work resulting in Guerra e Paz was produced by Cândido Portinari between 1952 and 1956. The project was commissioned by the Brazilian government as a gift to the United Nations headquarters in New York, where the panels were installed in the entrance hall, with restricted public access.

A major renovation of the UN headquarters, which began in 2010, provided the unprecedented opportunity to bring these panels to Brazil. The first stage of the exhibition took place in Rio de Janeiro in December 2010, attracting over 44,000 visitors. In São Paulo, more than 150,000 people have already seen Guerra e Paz. Until 2014, the works will be exhibited internationally, before returning permanently to the UN headquarters. The massive panels could only be transported because Guerra e Paz is essentially a puzzle, composed of 28 marine plywood panels. In Brazil, the works underwent restoration between February and May 2011 at the Palácio Gustavo Capanema in Rio de Janeiro.

Alongside Guerra e Paz, 100 preparatory studies are also on display, along with historical documents such as letters, newspaper clippings, and photographs detailing the creation of the panels.

João Candido was only 13 years old when his father began the works.

“I witnessed an act of heroism. Of course, at the time I could not fully grasp it. I only saw a man painting from morning until night under extremely harsh conditions. He worked in a warehouse that had once been a television studio, loaned by Rádio Tupi, without windows, with a zinc roof reaching 45 degrees Celsius. He drank lemonade constantly just to survive,” he recalls.

According to João Candido, his father spent four years preparing studies for the works and painted them in just nine months.

Guerra e Paz were the last and largest panels created by Portinari. While preparing the studies, doctors advised him to stop painting due to lead poisoning from the paints. Portinari ignored the medical advice.

“It was inevitable. There was a medical prohibition, which he ignored. But he could not fail to convey the greatest message of his life: that of peace,” said his son.

On February 6, 1962, Portinari died as a result of lead poisoning from the paints he used.

The sheer scale of his works amazes the public. Retired teacher Nilsa Papaleo visited the exhibition last Friday (11).

“I am amazed to see how someone can create art of this magnitude. I was astonished [to learn] how it was transported, since it’s such a massive panel. Then they explained that it’s like a puzzle, divided into pieces that are assembled on-site. It’s very beautiful, striking,” she told Agência Brasil. For her, the works reflect the society we live in. “And it’s still the same.”

Dr. Luiz Martinelli had previously seen the work at the UN.

“But seeing it here is different. We are at home. In our own country, it feels different. It’s more enjoyable,” he said. “Personally, I prefer A Paz. I am for peace,” he joked. “In A Guerra, we see people suffering. It’s a more shocking image. Peace is always more beautiful.”

After a professor told him that the work was from the UN, student Pablo de Lima Almeida decided to visit the exhibition with a group of friends. He told Agência Brasil that he enjoyed the panel representing peace the most. “It’s more beautiful,” he said.

Retiree Cristina Figueiredo, who has always loved art, decided to visit the exhibition before it ended. The impact of the works, she said, is immense.

“I had seen Picasso’s Guernica, which is also impressive. But this one has our colors, Brazilian colors, which is very important to me,” she said, highlighting the work’s relevance today. “I read somewhere that Portinari portrays war as something that has always belonged to humanity. He does not depict a single war, as Guernica addresses the Spanish Civil War. He portrays war that has always existed and, unfortunately, still exists,” she added.

This profound message by Candido Portinari to the world, through the monumental panels of Guerra e Paz, will remain in Brazil longer than initially planned. At the Memorial da América Latina in São Paulo, where it is currently displayed, the exhibition has been extended until May 20, with free admission. Afterwards, it is expected to travel to Belo Horizonte (MG) before crossing the ocean, likely heading to Norway and China.

Elaine Patricia Cruz
Reporter, Agência Brasil - 05/13/2012 - 16:23. Edited by Fábio Massalli
More information about the exhibition can be found at www.guerraepaz.org.br
Guerra e Paz, Portinari’s monumental message to the world, was on display in São Paulo until May 20, 2012.

Main Characteristics of Candido Portinari’s Works

Depicted social issues in Brazil;
Incorporated some elements of European modern art;
His works reflect influences from Surrealism, Cubism, and Mexican muralists;
Figurative art, emphasizing painting traditions.

Major Works by Candido Portinari

Meio Ambiente
Colhedores de Café
Mestiço
Favelas
O Lavrador de Café
O Sapateiro de Brodowski
Meninos e Pião
Lavadeiras
Grupos de Meninas Brincando
Menino com Carneiro
Cena Rural
A Primeira Missa no Brasil
São Francisco de Assis
Os Retirantes

Chronology, Exhibitions, and Awards

c. 1910 – Undertakes first studies at a rural school in Brodowski, São Paulo
c. 1913 – Begins painting, assisting in the decoration of the main church in Brodowski
1918/1962 – Resides in Rio de Janeiro
1919 – Studies at the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios do Rio de Janeiro
1919/1928 – Studies at the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes (Enba), taking figurative drawing with Lucílio de Albuquerque (1885-1962) and painting with Rodolfo Amoedo (1857-1941), Baptista da Costa (1865-1926). In later years, a student of Rodolfo Chambelland (1879-1967)
1929/1930 – Wins the overseas travel award at the 35th General Exhibition of Fine Arts and travels to Paris. Visits England, Italy, and Spain, exploring museums and galleries. Meets painters Van Dongene and Othon Friesz
1936 – Creates first mural for the Rodoviário Monument on the Rio-São Paulo highway
1936/1938 – Holds chair of mural and easel painting at the Art Institute of the Universidade do Distrito Federal, Rio de Janeiro, organized by Anísio Teixeira. Notable students include Burle Marx (1909-1994) and Edith Behring (1916-1996)
1938 – Invited by Minister Gustavo Capanema (1902-1998) to paint a series of frescoes for the new Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) building in Rio de Janeiro, designed by Lucio Costa (1902-1998)
1939 – Creates three panels for the Brazilian pavilion at the New York World’s Fair
1939 – Joins the Família Artística Paulista (FAP)
1940 – Revista Acadêmica dedicates a special issue to him with reproductions of his works and testimonials
1940 – University of Chicago publishes the first book on the artist, Portinari: His Life and Art, with introduction by Rockwell Kent
1940/1959 – Illustrates books including A Mulher Ausente by Adalgisa Nery (1940); Maria Rosa by Vera Kelsey (1942); Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas and O Alienista by Machado de Assis (1943 and 1948); A Selva by Ferreira de Castro (1955); Menino de Engenho by José Lins do Rego (1959); O Poder e a Glória by Graham Greene (1959); Terre Promise and Rose de Septembre by André Maurois; and Antologia Poética by Nicolás Guillén (1961), among others
1941 – Paints frescoes for the Hispanic Foundation at the U.S. Library of Congress, Washington D.C.
1942/1943 – Paints the Biblical Series for Rádio Tupi, São Paulo
1943 – Creates new murals for the Ministry of Education and designs exterior tiles for the building
1944 – Completes mural and tiles on the life of Saint Francis for the Capela da Pampulha, Belo Horizonte. The following year, paints Via Sacra for the same church
1944 – Designs 40 costumes and five backdrops for the ballet Iara by the Original Ballet Russe, banned by the Department of Press and Propaganda (DIP)
1945 and 1947 – Runs for deputy and senator for the Brazilian Communist Party (PCB), but is not elected
1946 – Receives the French Legion of Honor
1947/1948 – With the dissolution of the PCB by the Brazilian government, travels to Montevideo to escape persecution of communists
1948 – Paints the tempera panel A Primeira Missa no Brasil for Banco Boavista, Rio de Janeiro
1949 – Paints the Tiradentes mural
1950 – Receives the gold medal from the International Peace Prize jury for Tiradentes (1949)
1952/1956 – Paints the Guerra e Paz panels for the United Nations headquarters, New York
1953 – Paints a series of works for the main church in Batatais, São Paulo
1954 – Creates a panel dedicated to the Founders of São Paulo for O Estado de S. Paulo newspaper
1954 – Paints the Descobrimento do Brasil panel for Banco Português do Brasil, Rio de Janeiro
1955 – Receives gold medal from the International Fine Arts Council, New York, as best painter of the year
1956 – Travels to Israel at the invitation of the Museums Association and the Brazil-Israel Cultural Center, producing landscapes and portraits compiled in the album Israel, published by Editora Abrahams and industrialist Eugênio Luraghi
1956 – Receives the Guggenheim Prize upon inauguration of his panels at the UN headquarters
1957 – Receives honorable mention in the Hallmark Art Award International Watercolor Competition, New York
1957 – Begins writing his memoir, Retalhos de Minha Vida de Infância
1958 – Invited to receive the Gold Star, Brussels, Belgium
1958 – Writes a poetry book, published in 1964 by José Olympio with introductions by Antonio Callado (1917-1997) and Manuel Bandeira (1886-1968)
1959 – Paints the Inconfidência Mineira mural for Banco Hipotecário e Agrícola de Minas Gerais S/A, Rio de Janeiro
1960 – Paints panels for Banco de Boston, São Paulo
1970 – The artist’s former residence in Brodowski is transformed into the Museu Casa de Portinari
1974 – Four commemorative stamps reproducing details from Guerra e Paz are issued in Geneva
1979 – João Candido, the artist’s son, establishes Projeto Portinari, gathering extensive documentation on his work, life, and era. The project is headquartered at PUC/RJ
2003 – The performance Porti-Nari: The Opera is presented at Teatro do Sesc Ipiranga, São Paulo, honoring the centenary of the artist

Collections

Banco Itaú S.A. Collection - São Paulo, SP
Itaúsa - Investimentos Itaú S.A. Collection - São Paulo, SP
Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo Collection - São Paulo, SP
Visual Arts Collection of the Institute of Brazilian Studies - IEB/USP - São Paulo, SP
Central Bank of Brazil Collection - Brasília, DF
Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection - MAM/RJ - Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo - MAC/USP - São Paulo, SP
Memorial da América Latina Foundation - São Paulo, SP
Church of São Francisco de Assis - Belo Horizonte, MG
Library of Congress - Washington, D.C., USA
Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes - Buenos Aires, Argentina
Museum of Modern Art - MoMA - New York, USA
Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand - MASP - São Paulo, SP
Museu Nacional de Belas Artes - MNBA - Rio de Janeiro, RJ
United Nations - UN - New York, USA
Palácio Gustavo Capanema - Rio de Janeiro, RJ
Palácio do Itamaraty - Brasília, DF

Solo Exhibitions

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1929 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Candido Portinari: Painting, Palace Hotel
1931 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Solo Exhibition, Palace Hotel
1932 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Solo Exhibition, Palace Hotel
1933 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Solo Exhibition, Palace Hotel
1934 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Solo Exhibition, Palace Hotel
1934 - São Paulo, SP - Solo Exhibition, Rua Barão de Itapetininga, nº 6
1935 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Solo Exhibition, Palace Hotel
1936 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Solo Exhibition, Palace Hotel
1939 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Candido Portinari: Retrospective, MNBA
1940 - North Carolina, USA - National Art Week: Portinari, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
1940 - Detroit, USA - Solo Exhibition, The Detroit Institute of Arts
1940 - New York, USA - Candido Portinari's Exhibition, Riverside Museum
1940 - New York, USA - Portinari of Brazil, MoMA
1941 - Chapel Hill, USA - Candido Portinari's Exhibition, Person Hall Art Gallery
1941 - Denver, USA - Candido Portinari's Exhibition, Denver Art Museum
1941 - Grand Rapids, USA - Murals by Candido Portinari, Grand Rapids Art Gallery
1941 - Indianapolis, USA - Murals by Candido Portinari, John Herron Art Museum
1941 - Kansas City, USA - Candido Portinari's Exhibition, William Rockhill Nelson Gallery of Art
1941 - Minneapolis, USA - Candido Portinari's Exhibition, The Minneapolis Institute of Art
1941 - New Orleans, USA - Murals by Candido Portinari, Isaac Delgado Museum of Art
1941 - Newport News, USA - Solo Exhibition, Hampton Woman's Club House
1941 - Pittsburgh, USA - Murals by Candido Portinari, Carnegie Institute
1941 - Saint Louis, USA - Murals by Candido Portinari, Saint Louis Art Museum
1941 - San Francisco, USA - Murals by Candido Portinari, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
1941 - Syracuse, USA - Candido Portinari's Exhibition, Museum of Fine Art
1941 - Terre Haute, USA - Candido Portinari's Exhibition, Indiana State Teachers College
1941 - Washington, USA - Solo Exhibition, Howard University Gallery of Art
1943 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Candido Portinari Painting Exhibition, MNBA
1944 - Washington, USA - Paintings by Candido Portinari of Brazil: First Anniversary Exhibition, The Barnett Aden Gallery
1946 - Paris, France - Candido Portinari: Retrospective, Musée National d’Art de Paris
1946 - Paris, France - Solo Exhibition, Galerie Charpentier
1947 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Solo Exhibition, Salón Peuser
1947 - Montevideo, Uruguay - Portinari Exhibition, National Fine Arts Commission Hall
1947 - Washington, USA - Portinari of Brazil, Pan American Union Gallery
1948 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Oils, Monotypes and Drawings by Candido Portinari, Sociedad Hebraica Argentina
1948 - Montevideo, Uruguay - Solo Exhibition, Teatro Solis
1948 - São Paulo, SP - Portinari: 1920-1948, MASP
1949 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Exhibition of the Tiradentes Mural by Candido Portinari, MAM/RJ
1949 - São Paulo, SP - Exhibition of the Tiradentes Mural by Candido Portinari, MAM/SP
1952 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Arrival of D. João VI in Bahia, Automóvel Clube do Brasil
1953 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Solo Exhibition, MAM/RJ
1954 - Salvador, BA - Portinari: Commemorative Exhibition of the Painter’s 50th Anniversary, Galeria Oxumaré
1954 - São Paulo, SP - Solo Exhibition, MASP
1956 - Ein Harod, Israel - Portinari: Paintings and Drawings 1940-1956, Museum of Ein Harod
1956 - Haifa, Israel - Portinari: Paintings and Drawings 1940-1956, Museum of Modern Art
1956 - Jerusalem, Israel - Candido Portinari: Oil Paintings and Drawings 1940-1956, The Bezalel National Art Museum
1956 - Jerusalem, Israel - Portinari: Paintings and Drawings 1940-1956, The Bezalel National Art Museum
1956 - Tel Aviv, Israel - Portinari: Paintings and Drawings 1940-1956, Tel Aviv Museum of Art
1957 - Cologne, Germany - Solo Exhibition, Haus der Kulturinstitute
1957 - Munich, Germany - Solo Exhibition, Haus der Kulturinstitute
1957 - Paris, France - Solo Exhibition, Maison de La Pensée Française
1957 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Portinari’s War and Peace: Panels for the UN, Theatro Municipal
1958 - Belo Horizonte, MG - Israel: Drawings by Portinari, MAP
1958 - Bologna, Italy - Israel: Drawings by Portinari, Galleria del Librario
1958 - Lima, Peru - Israel: Drawings by Portinari, Instituto de Arte Contemporáneo
1958 - Porto Alegre, RS - Portinari Exhibition, MARGS
1958 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Israel: Drawings by Portinari, MAM/RJ
1958 - São Paulo, SP - Israel: Drawings by Portinari, MAM/SP
1959 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Israel: Drawings by Portinari, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
1959 - Moscow, USSR (now Russia) - Portinari Exhibition, House of Friendship with Foreign Peoples
1959 - New York, USA - Solo Exhibition, Wildenstein Gallery
1960 - Bratislava, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) - Solo Exhibition, Galerie Nationale
1960 - Brno, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) - Solo Exhibition, Kunsthaus
1960 - Moscow, USSR (now Russia) - Candido Portinari: Photographic Exhibition of 70 Works, House of Friendship with Foreign Peoples
1960 - Prague, Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic) - Solo Exhibition, Galerie Manes
1960 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Portinari Exhibition, Galeria Bonino
1961 - Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Solo Exhibition, Galeria Bonino
1961 - São Paulo, SP - Portinari: 58 Drawings, Casa do Artista Plástico

Group Exhibitions

1922 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 29th General Exhibition of Fine Arts, at Enba - honorable mention
1923 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 30th General Exhibition of Fine Arts, at Enba - bronze medal and acquisition prize
1924 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 2nd Spring Salon, at Liceu de Artes e Ofícios
1924 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 31st General Exhibition of Fine Arts, at Enba
1925 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 32nd General Exhibition of Fine Arts, at Enba - small silver medal
1925 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 3rd Spring Salon, at Liceu de Artes e Ofícios
1926 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 33rd General Exhibition of Fine Arts, at Enba - large silver medal
1927 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 34th General Exhibition of Fine Arts, at Enba - travel award abroad
1928 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 35th General Exhibition of Fine Arts, at Enba
1929 - Rosario (Argentina) - 11th Rosario Salon, at Comisión Municipal de Bellas Artes
1930 - Paris (France) - Exposition d'Art Brésilien, at Foyer Brésilien
1931 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Revolutionary Salon, at Enba
1933 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 3rd Pró-Arte Salon, at Enba
1933 - São Paulo SP - 2nd Modern Art Exhibition of SPAM, at Palacete Campinas
1934 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 4th Pró-Arte Salon, at Enba
1935 - Pittsburgh (USA) - The 1935 International Exhibition of Painting, at Carnegie Institute - 2nd honorable mention for the painting Café
1935 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Social Art Exhibition, at Clube de Cultura Moderna
1935 - São Paulo SP - 2nd São Paulo Fine Arts Salon
1936 - Cleveland (USA) - The 1935 International Exhibition of Painting
1936 - Toledo (USA) - European Section of the Thirty-Third Carnegie International Exhibition of Paintings, at The Toledo Museum of Art
1937 - São Paulo SP - 1st May Salon, at Esplanada Hotel de São Paulo
1939 - New York (USA) - Art in Our Time, at MoMA
1939 - New York (USA) - Brazilian Pavilion, at the New York World’s Fair
1939 - São Paulo SP - 2nd Paulista Artistic Family Salon, at Automóvel Clube
1940 - New York (USA) - 2nd Latin America Exhibition of Fine Arts, at Riverside Museum
1940 - New York (USA) - Exhibition of Modern Paintings, Drawings and Primitive African Sculpture from the Collection of Helena Rubinstein, at The Mayflower Hotel
1940 - Washington (USA) - Exhibition of Modern Paintings, Drawings and Primitive African Sculpture from the Collection of Helena Rubinstein, at The Mayflower Hotel on the Park
1941 - São Paulo SP - 1st Art Salon of the National Industries Fair, at Parque da Água Branca
1942 - Milwaukee (USA) - Festival of Latin American Art, at Milwaukee Art Center
1943 - São Paulo SP - Anti-Axis Exhibition, at Galeria Prestes Maia
1943 - London (UK) - Brazilian Art Exhibition, at Burlington House
1943 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Anti-Axis Exhibition, at Palácio Itamaraty, Historical and Diplomatic Museum
1944 - Belo Horizonte MG - Modern Art Exhibition, at Edifício Mariana
1944 - Buenos Aires (Argentina) - Portinari and De Chirico, at Galeria Comte
1944 - Chicago (USA) - Art of the United Nations, at The Art Institute of Chicago
1944 - London (UK) - Exhibition of Modern Brazilian Paintings, at the Royal Academy of Art
1944 - Norwich (UK) - Exhibition of Modern Brazilian Paintings, at Norwich Castle and Museum
1944 - New York (USA) - Art in Progress, at MoMA
1945 - Bath (UK) - Exhibition of Modern Brazilian Paintings, at Victory Art Gallery
1945 - Bristol (UK) - Exhibition of Modern Brazilian Paintings, at Bristol City Museum & Art Gallery
1945 - Buenos Aires (Argentina) - 20 Brazilian Artists, at Salones Nacionales de Exposición
1945 - Edinburgh (Scotland) - Exhibition of Modern Brazilian Paintings, at National Gallery
1945 - Glasgow (Scotland) - Exhibition of Modern Brazilian Paintings, at Kelvingrove Art Gallery
1945 - La Plata (Argentina) - 20 Brazilian Artists, at Museo Provincial de Bellas Artes
1945 - Manchester (UK) - Exhibition of Modern Brazilian Paintings, at Manchester Art Gallery
1945 - Montevideo (Uruguay) - 20 Brazilian Artists, at Comisión Municipal de Cultura
1945 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Visual Artists of the Brazilian Communist Party, at Casa do Estudante
1945 - Santiago (Chile) - 20 Brazilian Artists, at Universidad de Santiago de Chile
1946 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Charity Exhibition, at IAB/RJ
1946 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Painters Go to the People’s School, at Enba
1950 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - A Century of Brazilian Painting: 1850–1950, at MNBA
1950 - Bahia - A Century of Brazilian Painting: 1850–1950
1950 - Paraíba - A Century of Brazilian Painting: 1850–1950
1950 - Pernambuco - A Century of Brazilian Painting: 1850–1950
1950 - Venice (Italy) - 25th Venice Biennale
1951 - São Paulo SP - 1st São Paulo International Biennial, at Trianon Pavilion
1952 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Brazilian Artists Exhibition, at MAM/RJ
1954 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Black and White Salon, at Palácio da Cultura
1954 - Warsaw (Poland) - Exhibition on the Struggle of Peoples for Peace
1954 - Venice (Italy) - 27th Venice Biennale
1955 - Porto Alegre RS - Contemporary Brazilian Art, at Margs
1955 - San Francisco (USA) - Art in the 20th Century, at Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco
1955 - São Paulo SP - 3rd São Paulo International Biennial, at Pavilhão das Nações
1957 - Buenos Aires (Argentina) - Modern Art in Brazil, at Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes
1957 - Lima (Peru) - Modern Art in Brazil, at Museo de Arte de Lima
1957 - New York (USA) - Guggenheim International Award: 1956, at The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
1957 - Rosario (Argentina) - Modern Art in Brazil, at Museo Municipal de Bellas Artes Juan B. Castagnino
1957 - Santiago (Chile) - Modern Art in Brazil, at Museo de Arte Contemporáneo
1958 - Brussels (Belgium) - 50 Years of Modern Art, at Palais des Beaux-Arts
1958 - Mexico City (Mexico) - 1st Mexico International Biennial – Ciudad de Mexico Prize
1958 - New York (USA) - Paintings and Sculpture and Folk Art from Thirty-Nine Member Countries of the United Nations, at The Festival Galleries
1958 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Exhibition of Works and Projects of the New Capital, at Ministry of Education and Sports
1959 - Amsterdam (Netherlands) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1959 - Barcelona (Spain) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1959 - Basel (Switzerland) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1959 - Leverkusen (Germany) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1959 - London (UK) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1959 - Milan (Italy) - International Exhibition of Sacred Art
1959 - Milan (Italy) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1959 - Rome (Italy) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1959 - Munich (Germany) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe, at Kunsthaus
1959 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 30 Years of Brazilian Art, at Galeria Macunaíma
1959 - São Paulo SP - 5th São Paulo International Biennial, at Ciccilo Matarazzo Sobrinho Pavilion
1959 - Vienna (Austria) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1960 - Hamburg (Germany) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1960 - Lisbon (Portugal) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1960 - Madrid (Spain) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1960 - Paris (France) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1960 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Inaugural Exhibition, at Galeria Bonino
1960 - São Paulo SP - Leirner Collection, at Galeria de Arte das Folhas
1960 - Utrecht (Netherlands) - First Collective Exhibition of Brazilian Artists in Europe
1962 - Casablanca (Morocco) - Exhibition of Brazilian Artists
1962 - Rabat (Morocco) - Exhibition of Brazilian Artists
1962 - Tangier (Morocco) - Exhibition of Brazilian Artists

Posthumous Exhibitions

1962 - São Paulo SP - Selection of Brazilian Artworks from the Ernesto Wolf Collection, at MAM/SP
1963 - Brodowski SP - Tribute to Portinari, at the Parish House of the Largo Candido Portinari Church
1963 - Campinas SP - Contemporary Painting and Sculpture, at Museu Carlos Gomes
1963 - Milan (Italy) - Mostra di Candido Portinari, at Palazzo Reale
1963 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 1st Art Summary JB, at Jornal do Brasil
1963 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Landscape as a Theme, at Galeria Ibeu Copacabana
1964 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Small Scale Exhibition, at Galeria Bonino
1966 - Austin (United States) - Art of Latin America since Independence, at The University of Texas at Austin, Archer M. Huntington Art Gallery
1966 - Belo Horizonte MG - 2nd Circulating Exhibition of Works from MAC/USP Collection, at Museu de Arte da Prefeitura de Belo Horizonte
1966 - Curitiba PR - 2nd Circulating Exhibition of Works from MAC/USP Collection
1966 - New Haven (United States) - Art of Latin America since Independence, at Yale University Art Gallery
1966 - New Orleans (United States) - Art of Latin America since Independence, at Isaac Delgado Museum of Art
1966 - Porto Alegre RS - 2nd Circulating Exhibition of Works from MAC/USP Collection, at Museu de Arte do Rio Grande do Sul
1966 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Self-Portraits, at Galeria Ibeu Copacabana
1966 - San Diego (United States) - Art of Latin America since Independence, at La Jolla Museum of Art
1966 - San Francisco (United States) - Art of Latin America since Independence, at San Francisco Art Museum
1966 - São Paulo SP - Half a Century of New Art, at MAC/USP
1970 - São Paulo SP - One Hundred Masterpieces by Portinari, at MASP
1972 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo Exhibition, at MNBA
1972 - São Paulo SP - The Week of 22: Antecedents and Consequences, at MASP
1974 - Geneva (Switzerland) - Portinari: Art at the United Nations, at Palais des Nations
1975 - São Paulo SP - SPAM and CAM, at Museu Lasar Segall
1976 - São Paulo SP - The Salons: Family Art Paulista, May Salon and Union of Plastic Artists of São Paulo, at Museu Lasar Segall
1976 - São Paulo SP - Brazilian Art: Figures and Movements, at Galeria Arte Global
1979 - São Paulo SP - Portinari: Studies for the Ministry of Education Panels in Rio de Janeiro, at MAC/USP
1980 - Buenos Aires (Argentina) - Eighty Years of Brazilian Art, at Banco Itaú
1980 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 3rd National Salon of Visual Arts, at MNBA
1980 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Tribute to Mário Pedrosa, at Galeria Jean Boghici
1980 - Santiago (Chile) - 20 Brazilian Painters, at Academia Chilena de Bellas Artes
1980 - São Paulo SP - One Hundred Masterpieces by Portinari, at MASP
1981 - Maceió AL - Brazilian Artists of the First Half of the 20th Century, at Instituto Histórico e Geográfico
1981 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Universe of Carnival: Images and Reflections, at Acervo Galeria de Arte
1981 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Portinari: Printmaker, at Galeria Gravura Brasileira
1982 - Bauru SP - 80 Years of Brazilian Art
1982 - Lisbon (Portugal) - Brazil 60 Years of Modern Art: Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection, at Centro de Arte Moderna José de Azeredo Perdigão
1982 - London (England) - Brazil 60 Years of Modern Art: Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection, at Barbican Art Gallery
1982 - Marília SP - 80 Years of Brazilian Art
1982 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Universe of Football, at MAM/RJ
1982 - Salvador BA - Brazilian Art from the Odorico Tavares Collection, at Museu Carlos Costa Pinto
1982 - São Paulo SP - 80 Years of Brazilian Art, at MAB/Faap
1982 - São Paulo SP - From Modernism to the Biennial, at MAM/SP
1983 - Belo Horizonte MG - 80 Years of Brazilian Art, at Fundação Clóvis Salgado. Palácio das Artes
1983 - Campinas SP - 80 Years of Brazilian Art, at MACC
1983 - Curitiba PR - 80 Years of Brazilian Art, at MAC/PR
1983 - Olinda PE - 2nd Exhibition of the Rodrigues Collection of Visual Arts, at MAC/Olinda
1983 - Ribeirão Preto SP - 80 Years of Brazilian Art
1983 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Brazilian Self-Portraits, at Galeria de Arte Banerj
1983 - Santo André SP - 80 Years of Brazilian Art, at Prefeitura Municipal
1983 - São Paulo SP - Reinterpretation Project, at Pinacoteca do Estado
1984 - Fortaleza CE - 7th National Salon of Visual Arts
1984 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 7th National Salon of Visual Arts
1984 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Portinari as Designer 2, at Ralph Camargo Art Consultancy
1984 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Salon of '31, at Funarte
1984 - Salvador BA - Retrospective, at MAM/BA
1984 - São Paulo SP - Candido Portinari: Ralph Camargo Collection, at Espaço Plano
1984 - São Paulo SP - Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection: Portraits and Self-Portraits of Brazilian Art, at MAM/SP
1984 - São Paulo SP - Tradition and Rupture: Synthesis of Brazilian Art and Culture, at Fundação Bienal
1985 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 8th National Salon of Visual Arts, at MAM/RJ
1985 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Portrait of the Collector in His Collection, at Galeria de Arte Banerj
1985 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Black and White Salon: Special Room of the 8th National Salon of Visual Arts, at Galeria Rodrigo Mello Franco de Andrade
1985 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Six Decades of Brazilian Art in the Roberto Marinho Collection, at Paço Imperial
1985 - São Paulo SP - 100 Itaú Works, at MASP
1985 - São Paulo SP - 18th São Paulo International Biennial, at Fundação Bienal
1986 - Curitiba PR - 7th Collection of the National Print Museum - Casa da Gravura, at Museu Guido Viaro
1986 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Seven Decades of Italian Presence in Brazilian Art, at Paço Imperial
1987 - Paris (France) - Modernity: 20th-Century Brazilian Art, at Musée d'Art Moderne de la Ville de Paris
1987 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - To the Collector: Tribute to Gilberto Chateaubriand, at MAM/RJ
1987 - São Paulo SP - Brazil Painted by National and Foreign Masters: 18th-20th Centuries, at MASP
1987 - São Paulo SP - The Craft of Art: Painting, at SESC
1988 - New York (United States) - The Latin American Spirit: Art and Artists in the United States: 1920-1970, at The Bronx Museum of the Arts
1988 - São Paulo SP - Brasiliana: Man and Land, at Pinacoteca do Estado
1988 - São Paulo SP - MAC 25 Years: Highlights of the Initial Collection, at MAC/USP
1988 - São Paulo SP - Modernity: 20th-Century Brazilian Art, at MAM/SP
1989 - El Paso (United States) - The Latin American Spirit: Art and Artists in the United States: 1920-1970, at El Paso Museum of Art
1989 - Fortaleza CE - Brazilian Art of the 19th and 20th Centuries in Ceará Collections: Paintings and Drawings, at Espaço Cultural da Unifor
1989 - Lisbon (Portugal) - Six Decades of Brazilian Modern Art: Roberto Marinho Collection, at Centro de Arte Moderna José de Azeredo Perdigão
1989 - San Diego (United States) - The Latin American Spirit: Art and Artists in the United States, 1920-1970, at San Diego Museum of Art
1989 - San Juan (Puerto Rico) - The Latin American Spirit: Art and Artists in the United States, 1920-1970, at Instituto de Cultura Puertorriqueña
1989 - São Paulo SP - 20th-Century Brazilian Painting: Works from Banco Itaú Collection, at Itaugaleria
1990 - Miami (United States) - The Latin American Spirit: Art and Artists in the United States, 1920-1970, at Center for the Fine Arts, Miami Art Museum
1990 - Moscow (Soviet Union, present-day Russia) - Candido Portinari: Retrospective
1991 - Curitiba PR - Municipal Art Museum: Collection, at Museu Municipal de Arte
1991 - São Paulo SP - Candido Portinari: Drawings, at Casa das Rosas
1992 - Campinas SP - Awardees of the Contemporary Art Salons of Campinas, at MACC
1992 - Paris (France) - Latin American Artists of the Twentieth Century, at Centre Georges Pompidou
1992 - Poços de Caldas MG - Brazilian Modern Art: Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo, at Casa de Cultura
1992 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Printmaking in Brazil: Proposal for a Mapping, at CCBB
1992 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Nature: Four Centuries of Art in Brazil, at CCBB
1992 - São Paulo SP - Retrospective, at Dan Galeria
1992 - São Paulo SP - The Formation of the Modernist Eye, at MAC/USP
1992 - Seville (Spain) - Latin American Artists of the Twentieth Century, at Estación Plaza de Armas
1992 - Zurich (Switzerland) - Brasilien: Discovery and Self-Discovery, at Kunsthaus Zürich
1993 - Cologne (Germany) - Latin American Artists of the Twentieth Century, at Kunsthalle Cologne
1993 - New York (United States) - Latin American Artists of the Twentieth Century, at MoMA
1993 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Brazil: 100 Years of Modern Art, at MNBA
1993 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Candido Portinari: Commemorative Exhibition for the 90th Anniversary of His Birth, at Jockey Club
1993 - São Paulo SP - 100 Masterpieces from the Mário de Andrade Collection: Painting and Sculpture, at IEB/USP
1993 - São Paulo SP - Brazilian Art in the World, a Trajectory: 24 Brazilian Artists, at Dan Galeria
1993 - São Paulo SP - Latin American Prints: Six Masters, at Galeria do Memorial
1993 - São Paulo SP - Modern Drawing in Brazil: Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection, at Galeria de Arte do Sesi
1993 - São Paulo SP - Modernism at the Brazilian Museum of Art: Painting, at MAB/Faap

Partial List of Honors, Titles, and Awards

1940 – Chicago (United States) – The University of Chicago publishes the first book on the painter, Portinari: His Life and Art, with an introduction by the artist Rockwell Kent.

1946 – Paris (France) – Legion of Honour, awarded by the French government.

1950 – Warsaw (Poland) – Gold Medal for the panel Tiradentes (1949), awarded by the jury of the International Peace Prize.

1955 – New York (United States) – Gold Medal as Painter of the Year, awarded by the International Fine Arts Council.

1956 – New York (United States) – Guggenheim Painting Prize, on the occasion of the inauguration of the panels War and Peace at the United Nations headquarters in New York.

Bibliography

Filho, Mário – A infância de Portinari, Edições Bloch, Rio de Janeiro, 1889.

Moreira, Marcos – A vida dos grandes brasileiros, Editora Três, 2010.

Drummond de Andrade, Carlos – Estive em casa de Candinho. In: Confissões de Minas. In: Poesia e prosa: volume único, 8th ed. Rio de Janeiro: Nova Aguilar, 1992, pp. 1354–1356. (Luso-Brazilian Library. Brazilian Series).

Andrade, Mário de – Portinari, amico mio: letters from Mário de Andrade to Candido Portinari. Edited, introduced, and annotated by Annateresa Fabris. Campinas, SP: Mercado de Letras, Ed. Autores Assoc.; Rio de Janeiro: Projeto Portinari, 1995. 160 p. (Art: Essays and Documents Collection).

Bento, Antonio – Portinari. Presentation by Afonso Arinos; preface by Jayme de Barros. 2nd ed. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Léo Christiano, 2003, 396 p., ill.

Fabris, Annateresa – Candido Portinari. São Paulo, SP: Edusp, 1996. 191 p., ill. (Brazilian Artists, 4.)

Kent, Rockwell – Portinari: His Life and Art. Presentation by Josias Leão. Chicago, IL: University of Chicago Press, 1940, 116 p., ill.

Luraghi, Eugenio – Disegni di Portinari. Turin, Italy, 1955, 188 p., ill.

Luraghi, Eugenio – Israel: Disegni di Portinari. Preface by Arie Aroch. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: Guanabara Koogan; New York: H. N. Abrams, 1957, 148 p., ill.

Portinari, Antônio – Portinari Menino. Presentation by Antonio Callado. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: J. Olympio, 1980. 172 p., ill.

Portinari, Candido – Sentido social del arte. [Buenos Aires]: Centro Estudiantes de Bellas Artes, 1947, 38 p., ill. (Cuadernillos de Cultura).

Portinari, Candido – Poemas de Candido Portinari. Preface by Manuel Bandeira. Rio de Janeiro, RJ: J. Olympio, 1964, 105 p., ill.

Book of Virtues for Children