AGOSTINHO BATISTA DE FREITAS

The exhibition Agostinho Batista de Freitas was dedicated to the work of the self-taught artist of humble origins who was introduced to the artistic circuit by Pietro Maria Bardi in the years he headed the MASP. The exhibition started from an interweaving of narratives and endeavored to renew the recognition of productions of this nature in the so-called erudite milieu.

With more than 70 works, the exhibition Agostinho Batista de Freitas highlighted the artist’s prolific production in the construction of representations of the city of São Paulo. Produced between the 1950s and 1990s, the selected paintings presented a great diversity of compositions and themes. Important buildings, including the MASP, large streets in the historic center or humble streets in the north of São Paulo were some of the reasons discussed in his work, which is not limited to the representation of the city’s spaces, but also serves to portray its population. The exhibition included paintings of everyday scenes and various situations of a collective nature, such as travel, festivals and religious manifestations.

The recognition that Agostinho Batista de Freitas receives today is a legatee of the efforts of Pietro Maria Bardi, who found the artist painting and selling his works on the sidewalks of São Paulo and invited him to hold his first solo exhibition. This professional and friendly relationship between the two figures resulted in a small painting by the artist that makes up the collection of the Bardi couple and which was part of this exhibition.

Fotos: © Eduardo Ortega, © Jorge Bastos