Tiradentes Esquartejado 1893

"Tiradentes Esquartejado" (1893), a monumental oil painting by Pedro Américo, depicts the gruesome execution of Joaquim José da Silva Xavier, a Brazilian revolutionary known as Tiradentes. The painting, notable for its realism and dramatic use of light, shows Tiradentes' dismembered body in a state of painful decay, emphasizing the brutality of his death. The painting is considered a pivotal work in Brazilian art, capturing the national trauma and heroism associated with the struggle for independence from Portugal. The composition is dominated by the wooden scaffold and the stark contrast of light and shadow, contributing to the painting's intense and haunting atmosphere.