Menina com Gato (Maria) 1900

Antonio Carneiro painted this oil painting, “Menina com Gato,” at the turn of the 20th century. The image presents a girl and her cat. This artwork has implications for how we interpret social structures and class dynamics in Brazilian society at the time. Looking at the painting, it seems to engage with visual codes that were current in European painting. Although the subject appears to be a child, and it may appear charming, the image presents some questions. What is the public role of this image? Does it critique the institutions of art? What are the politics of this imagery? How does it comment on the social structures of its time? The image provides us with possibilities for future research. It might be worth looking at the journals and newspapers of the time to see how childhood was represented.