"Joana Angélica or the martyr of independence": history of lost painting by Firmino Monteiro

Abstract

Between 1885 and 1887, Antônio Firmino Monteiro painted in Paris "Joana Angélica or the martyr of independence", which was presented as soon as he returned to Brazil in exhibitions that took place in Rio de Janeiro and Salvador. The article examines aspects related to the contexts of production, circulation, critical reception and acquisition of the canvas in question. The work also analyzes the choice of the theme of civic martyrdom, aiming to understand how Firmino Monteiro articulated an iconographic program linked to historical themes while handling key codes of Christian visual culture. The research also seeks to understand how the representation of the death of the Independence of Brazil heroine in Bahia was inserted in the project of affirmation of Firmino Monteiro as a history painter at the end of the 19th century. Finally, it makes some notes about the reception of this image of Joana Angélica in the context of the civic-religious cult dedicated to her in Bahia.