Araújo Porto-Alegre and the praise of baroque

Abstract

The opposition between styles has have a great importance in the historiography of
arts in Europe. This article argues that the term school of painting was adopted by Brazilian
painter and art critic Manoel de Araújo Porto-Alegre (1806-79) for writing the history of 19th
century art in Rio de Janeiro. By defining a “Fluminense School” and later a “Brazilian School”,
the critic conceived an interpretation of Brazilian past that praised baroque artworks and the
peculiarities of the artistic past of Rio de Janeiro. This article claims, on the contrary to what has
been stated, Porto-Alegre appreciated Baroque art as an important step to the creation of what he
thought to be the History of art in Brazil.