MOMA:Operários 1933

Tarsila do Amaral was a Brazil artist who was influenced by her friend to become communist in Paris.  She returned to Brazil and married a communist doctor, doctor Osorio César. Together they attended communist meetings in Brazil. Nonetheless, communism, at the time, was banned in Brazil. Amaral was incarcerated for her affiliation with communism. This encounter ended her marriage and her ties to the communist party. However, during her communist phase Tarsila do Amaral painted a lot of socially influenced paintings.

This painting was produced during Amaral’s communist phase. This piece was Amaral’s first painting to reflect social issues. In the painting, you can see chimneys which could be identified as factory chimneys or steamboat chimneys. However. the translation of the title, Operários meaning workers, alludes that the chimneys are factory chimney and the individuals in the picture are workers. These individuals in front of the chimney are a diverse group9of people. They represent different races, sex, and religions. If you look carefully at each individual they all a uniquely painted. Some workers are more fair skinned than others.

This picture depicts modernism through the stream of realism. Realism is the reflection of current issues, events through art. Moreover, it gives individuals the opportunity to be real, truthful and to display their point of view. Amaral alludes to the issue of the lack of diversity in her painting. The painting can be interpreted as Amaral’s hopes for the Future of Brazil. That they would be embrace communism through diversity and equal opportunity. This painting reflects communism which supports the equality of labor to redistribute wealth. Everyone is given an equal opportunity to achieve wealth. This displays. Amaral’s motives in painting this painting.

What drew me to this painting was the diversity. I admire the beauty in cultural diversity. In order to combat sexism, racism and other social issues we must understand each other so that we could work together to solve these problems. Cultural diversity is a universal necessity. Also, I was fascinated that Amaral was able to paint each worker uniquely and distinctly enough for them to stand out from one another. Lastly, the workers’ facial expressions bewildered me. They have straight faces they do not seem happy nor sad. This made me question my interpretation of the painting. If they are being given an equal opportunity why aren’t they happy? I wonder if Amaral wanted to display the dark and the light avenues of communism.