Menino com Pássaro 1957

Candido Portinari made this painting, ‘Menino com Pássaro’, with oil on canvas. The painting has been built up through many small brushstrokes, placed side by side like tiles in a mosaic. Imagine the artist, Portinari, slowly constructing the image of this boy and his bird, patiently layering mark upon mark until something magical emerges. I wonder if Portinari, while he was making it, thought about other painters who built up images in the same way, such as Van Gogh, or even some of the Italian futurists. What do you think this boy is thinking as he holds the little bird so gently in his hands? Are the yellow lines in the background bars of a cage? The mood is melancholic but full of affection and care. The brushstrokes are placed together to create an image, but also evoke feelings of tenderness. When we look at paintings, we aren’t only experiencing the vision of the artist, but also the visions of all the artists who came before them.