Georgina de Albuquerque: Pioneering Brazilian Painter and First Female Director of ENBA
Georgina de Albuquerque (1885–1962), a trailblazing painter from Taubaté, São Paulo, began her artistic journey at the age of 15 under the guidance of Rosalbino Santoro, showcasing her work publicly for the first time at 18. After relocating to Rio de Janeiro and attending the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes (ENBA), she made history as the first Brazilian woman to successfully complete the aptitude test at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Upon her return to Brazil in 1911, she earned a gold medal at the 1919 Exposição Geral de Belas-Artes and became the first female member of a painting jury. Her renowned piece, 'Sessão do Conselho de Estado' (1922), embodies feminist themes. In 1952, she took the helm at ENBA and passed away in Rio de Janeiro in August 1962.
Key facts
- Georgina de Albuquerque was born in Taubaté, São Paulo, in 1885.
- She was the first Brazilian woman to enter the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris.
- She became the first female director of the Escola Nacional de Belas Artes do Rio de Janeiro in 1952.
- Her painting 'Sessão do Conselho de Estado' (1922) depicts Empress Maria Leopoldina as the central figure in the proclamation of Brazilian independence.
- She was the first woman to participate in a painting jury in Brazil in 1920.
- She founded the Museu Lucílio de Albuquerque in 1943 in Rio de Janeiro.
- She studied with Rosalbino Santoro, Henrique Bernardelli, Paul Gervais, Decheneau, and Henry Royer.
- She died in Rio de Janeiro in August 1962 at age 77.
Entities
Artists
- Georgina de Albuquerque
- Lucílio de Albuquerque
- Rosalbino Santoro
- Henrique Bernardelli
- Rodolfo Bernardelli
- Félix Bernardelli
- Paul Gervais
- Decheneau
- Henry Royer
- Maria Leopoldina
- José Bonifácio de Andrada e Silva
- Martim Francisco de Andrada e Silva
- José Clemente Pereira
- Caetano Pinto de Miranda Montenegro
- Manoel Antonio Farinha
- Lucas José Obes
- Luiz Pereira da Nóbrega
Institutions
- École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
- Escola Nacional de Belas Artes
- Academia Julian
- Museu Lucílio de Albuquerque
- Museu Nacional de Belas Artes do Rio de Janeiro
- Pinacoteca de São Paulo
- Federação Brasileira para o Progresso Feminino
Locations
- Taubaté
- Brazil
- São Paulo
- Rio de Janeiro
- France
- Paris
Sources
- Arteref —