Aurélia took advantage of photography to make some of her most famous works
In a world made by men and for men, there have been women throughout history who came to question everything that was believed. The art world was no exception and there were numerous examples of great women who exposed themselves as artists, even when men used them only as muses for their work. Even without knowing that they would remain in history forever, these women dedicated themselves to what they loved, leaving countless examples that, today, we can observe and understand the importance that they would not have had at the time.
Aurélia de Souza was one of those women. She was born in Chile but raised in a small country named Portugal, where women were still part of high society, to be seen as housewives. Aurélia had the opportunity to study in Porto, at the Academy of Fine Arts, as well as in other great academies around the world, and she became a great artist, with a vast work, that distances herself from everything that women were thought to be able to accomplish.
Coleção José Caiado de Souza. Photo by: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian – Centro de Arte Moderna - Catarina Gomes Ferreira
Aurélia took advantage of photography to make some of her most famous works. In an almost performative exercise, the artist photographed herself as she wished and, later, painted herself on canvas. Even though this exercise had already been done all over Europe, since the moment photography emerged as a great invention of the nineteenth century, it's true that in Portugal it had not yet become a habit. One of her most relevant and, in a way, incomprehensible works is “Self-Portrait as Saint Anthony”. In this portrait, the artist dressed up as Saint Anthony, presenting a less dogmatic view of the saint's physiognomy, which was sought to be represented in more traditional paintings up to that time. It is understood that she did it this way because she was born on the day that Saint Anthony was celebrated. However, it is not understood whether this was exactly the main reason for what can be called her main performance. I refer to performance, but accidentally, because, certainly, Aurélia would not have that intention, nor did she do it with an audience to witness the moment when she decided to portray herself as Saint Anthony.
In this work, the usual comforting mystique of Saint Anthony is replaced by a disquieting void of uncertainties, a tremendous truth of suffering and death, clearly visible in how she paints her face and physiognomy. Even though there are versions that claim that Aurélia would be sick at this time, perhaps the painting is a true performance of her, which intended to portray what was going on all over the country, in a time of technological and scientific advances, but of big social setbacks, which would lead to the beginning of the First World War.
In addition to the existence of other works of art that could be analyzed about Aurélia's contribution to Portuguese art, this would be the main one, as well as one of her most incredible works. It should be noted that the artist was undoubtedly an example of a woman out of her time; however, she only succeeded because her family provided for her, financially and socially. Without their support, in a world made up of men, she would never have been able to be considered an example of strength and resilience, nor would she travel as she traveled, which allowed her to know the realities beyond Portuguese borders.
Thanks to: Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian