Biography of Pedro Américo: Masterpieces and Timeless Legacy
Discover the life and works of Pedro Américo, one of the most renowned artists of the 19th century.
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Pedro Américo, one of the greatest artists of the 19th century, returned to Europe in the early 1880s, resuming production with battle-themed works.
He created, for example, the Battle of San Marino, which was acquired by the Italian government.
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Living in Florence, he dedicated himself to romantic paintings and also historical landscapes or religious scenes.
Many of these paintings were exhibited at the Academy and later, some were acquired by the Brazilian government.
During this period, he produced a large series of masterpieces, including one of the most famous in the country: Independence or Death, the painting depicts the moment when the prince regent, D. Pedro I, declared Brazil's independence from Portugal.
In November 1889, the reign of Dom Pedro II came to an end with a military coup, during a reform when the Republic of Brazil emerged.
It was a time when those close to the Emperor were marginalized.
Pedro Américo had been a favorite of the Emperor and closely tied to the National School of Fine Arts, he was dismissed from his position.
After some time, he was elected a deputy to the National Assembly, but due to the appearance of health problems, he rarely attended the meetings.
In 1894, he left Rio de Janeiro for health reasons and returned to Florence, where he lived the final stage of his life.
Pedro Américo passed away in Florence, Italy on October 7, 1905 at the age of 62.
It is believed that the probable cause was poisoning by the paints he used.
His body was embalmed to be transported to Brazil by order of the then President, Rodrigues Alves.
Initially, it was exposed in Rio de Janeiro and later in João Pessoa, Paraíba state, where he was born.
He is buried at the Instituto Histórico e Geográfico do Brasil, in Areia, his hometown.
To understand the rest of this journey, continue to our next article: Biography of Pedro Américo: A Commented Gallery of Iconic Works.
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