A Boneca 

Tarsila do Amaral created this painting, called ‘A Boneca’, or ‘The Doll’ in Portuguese, using oil on canvas. It belongs to a period of Brazilian art history characterized by the search for a specifically national visual language. European Modernism was a powerful influence, but artists like do Amaral sought to synthesize it with Brazilian themes and sensibilities. This can be seen in the doll’s form, which is both figurative and abstracted, set against a background that suggests both interior space and tropical landscape. Do Amaral was associated with the cultural and political avant-garde in Brazil. Works like this helped to define Brazilian identity in a period of rapid social change and the rise of nationalist ideologies. Art historians use various resources – period publications, artists’ letters, exhibition reviews, and so on – to gain insights into the meaning and impact of works of art in their original context. This helps us to understand the complex dialogues between artists, institutions, and the public that shape the history of art.