José Teófilo de Jesus
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1758
José Teófilo de Jesus | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1758 |
| Died | July 19, 1847 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil |
| Known for | painter, gilder |
| Style | Baroque, Rococo |
José Teófilo de Jesus (Salvador, Bahia, 1758?-Salvador, Bahia, July 19, 1847) was a Brazilian painter and gilder. He is the most noted representative of the Escola Baiana or Bahian School of painting. His work was eclectic, characterized by the passage from the Baroque to the Rococo, with reference to Neoclassical traits.[1] De Jesus was of pardo, or mixed ethnic ancestry and lived into his nineties; little else is known of his life. His production was apparently vast, but many of his works are only identified by oral tradition. Although he is known as one of the great names of the Brazilian Baroque, and one of its final artists, details of his life and a full account of his works remain unclear.[2][3][4]
De Jesus was a freeman and pardo, or Brazilian of mixed ethnic ancestry. He became an apprentice of José Joaquim da Rocha (1737 - 1807) in the mid-18th century.[5] He assisted Da Rocha in painting and filling of secondary figures on ceiling and panels. De Jesus was part of a generation of painters who traveled to Portugal and Italy for training. He arrived in Lisbon in 1794 with Da Rocha's assistance, and worked with the foremost painters of the day, such as Vieira Lusitano, and Pompeo Batoni,[6] an Italian working at the Basílica da Estrela in Lisbon.[3][4] While there, De Jesus was instructed by the painter Pedro Alexandrino de Carvalho (1729 - 1810)[3][4] The story of De Jesus's travel and study in Portugal was held as legend until the late 20th century; the archaeologist and historian Carlos Ott (1908–1997) discovered correspondence dating to 1794 confirming De Jesus's work in Europe.[2][3][4]
De Jesus received his first commissions upon his return to Brazil in 1801. He completed four panels in the Church of the Third Order of Saint Francis in 1802 for the cost of 80$000. These works are now lost. He completed a painting of Our Lord of the Good End (Nosso Senhor do Bonfim) in 1803 for the Santa Casa and Our Lady of Mercy Church; this painting has also disappeared. His name disappears from the record for about ten years after these works, a period in which he likely worked in private homes and chapels. De Jesus inherited many of the clients of Da Rocha upon his death in 1807, and began his great works starting in 1815 at the Church of the Third Order of Mount Carmel He received 3:400$000 for his painting and gilding work at the church.[2][3][4]
