Black Art

Abstract

Barata reflects on the position of Afro-Brazilian black art through the study of a collection of sculptures, which had once been used in Afro-Brazilian religious communities. He argues that ‘black art’ in Brazil is worth studying in order to gain a better understanding of its influence on the arts in Brazil. He briefly considers sculptures from Africa and their formal influence on modern sculpture. Barata is conversant with previous scholarship on the subject, referencing seminal texts by Brazilian and European writers, such as Querino and Frobenius.

Keywords:

• Afro-Brazilian art
• material culture
• historiography
• slavery
• religion
• idols
• sculpture

Notes

1 Translator’s note: Macumba: the term is used here to denote an Afro-Brazilian religious temple or sanctuary.

2 Translator’s note: From here on all emphases are in the original, unless specified.

3 Editor’s note: see also Leo Frobenius, “Ancient and Recent African art”, Art in Translation, 1, no. 2 (Summer 2009), pp. 189–197.

4 Manuel Querino, “A raça negra e seus costumes na Bahia”, in Anais do Congresso Brasileiro de Geografia (Salvador: SGRJ, 1916).

5 Translator’s note: Mestiço: person of mix descent.

6 Translator’s note: Maria Cambinda is an esteemed preta-velha [old black woman]. They are spirits of old slaves who died enslaved and are generally incorporated or embodied by candomble or umbanda mediums because of their healing powers, particularly as herbalists.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Mário Barata

Translated by Elton Uliana

Originally published as “Arte negra,” Revista da semana, 20 (1941): 16–17, 34.