Marinha Com Casas 

Aldemir Martins made this colourful print of a seascape with houses at an unknown date. The bright colours and simplified forms immediately bring to mind the popular modernism that took hold in Brazil in the mid-20th century. Here, the artist reduces the landscape to a series of flattened shapes and bold colours, evoking the intense light and vibrant atmosphere of the Brazilian coast. The naive style and choice of subject matter—simple houses by the sea—suggest a sense of national pride in the beauty of Brazil's natural environment. We might even wonder if Martins was making a commentary on the rapid urbanisation the country was undergoing at the time. To fully understand this work, we would need to know more about the specific social and political context in which Martins was working. The archives of Brazilian art institutions and cultural organisations would reveal a great deal about the artist's position in the cultural landscape. The meaning of art is always contingent on its context.