Venezia 1956

"Venezia" is an oil on canvas made by Emiliano Di Cavalcanti, an artist who lived through some of the most transformative periods in Brazilian history. Di Cavalcanti's bohemian lifestyle and leftist political views placed him in dialogue with the avant-garde movements of his time. In this scene, the architectural forms of Venice become abstracted through bold color choices and simplified shapes. The gondolas rest silently, shadowed in the foreground, while the city rises behind them. We see Venice, not in its idealized form, but as a somber reflection of urban life. Di Cavalcanti once said: "What I want is to stir, to move, to seduce, to drag people with me" and it’s like he’s asking us, with his Venice, to feel the weight of history and the pulse of modern life. The painting is a reminder of how artists negotiate the intersection of personal expression, cultural heritage, and political consciousness.