About Candido Portinari
Brazilian · 1903–1962
- modern art
Brazilian[1] painter whose War and Peace murals hang at the United Nations, known for monumental social paintings of workers and peasants.
Museums9
Countries5
Largest reported holdingSão Paulo Museum of Art, São Paulo · 17 recorded works
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Where to see Candido Portinari
Collection holdings are reported here; current display varies. Check with each museum before visiting.
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17 recorded works
São Paulo Museum of Art
São Paulo, Brazil
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2 recorded works
Yale University Art Gallery
New Haven, United States
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1 recorded work
Mercer Art Gallery
Harrogate, United Kingdom
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1 recorded work
National Museum of Fine Arts, Argentina
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Also here (6)
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1 recorded work
Museum of Modern Art
New York City, United States
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1 recorded work
RISD Museum
Providence, United States
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1 recorded work
Centre national des arts plastiques
Paris, France
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1 recorded work
Detroit Institute of Arts
Detroit, United States
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1 recorded work
Musée National d'Art Moderne
Paris, France
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Candido Portinari prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Candido Portinari's body of work.
Dead Boy - Candido Portinari
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Pipas (Kites) - Candido Portinari
From £37.00
Teaching of the Indians - Candido Portinari
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Bumba-Meu-Boi - Candido Portinari
From £28.00
Corn Harvest - Candido Portinari
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Roundelay - Candido Portinari
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Menino com Pássaro - Candido Portinari
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Meio Ambiente - Candido Portinari
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See all Candido Portinari prints →Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I see Candido Portinari's work?
Candido Portinari's artwork can be viewed in several museums internationally. In the United States, these include the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art (Winter Park, Florida), the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York), the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (Minneapolis), the Museum of Modern Art (New York), the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond), and the Wolfsonian at Florida International University (Miami Beach). In Canada, his work is held at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto. In the United Kingdom, you can find Portinari at the Bakelite Museum (Williton), Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (Brighton), the Geffrye Museum (London), Manchester Art Gallery (Manchester), the National Museums of Scotland (Edinburgh), and the Victoria & Albert Museum (London).Who influenced Candido Portinari?
It is difficult to summarise Candido Portinari's influences concisely. However, some connections can be drawn to European modernists. Amedeo Modigliani, an Italian artist working in Paris, was one such figure. Modigliani's drawings for *Cariatide* (circa 1913[1]) show the influence of Picasso's 1906 studies of women. Modigliani, in turn, influenced other painters of his generation from around 1915. These included Moise Kisling and Chaim Soutine. His paintings also inspired Gio Ponti, an Italian industrial designer. Giorgio de Chirico, another Italian artist, provides a further point of reference. De Chirico's early work was influenced by Arnold Böcklin and Max Klinger. His brother, Alberto Savinio, also shared an interest in Böcklin and Greek poetry. De Chirico's time in Florence moved him away from direct imitation of German Symbolists. He retained two motifs from Böcklin: a draped figure and a combination of arcades and loggias.What is Candido Portinari's most famous work?
Candido Portinari is best known for his large-scale mural paintings. He received many commissions from the Brazilian[1] government and other institutions. Two large murals, *Guerra e Paz* (War and Peace), stand out as particularly significant. These were commissioned by the Brazilian government as a gift to the United Nations in 1952[1]. Portinari worked on the paintings from 1952 to 1956. They were initially displayed in São Paulo. In 1957, they were moved to the UN headquarters in New York City. These panels reflect Portinari's social concerns and artistic skill. *Guerra* depicts scenes of conflict and suffering. *Paz* offers a vision of harmony and reconciliation. The works combine European modernist styles with Brazilian themes. They are among the most important examples of his public art. They also brought international attention to his work.What style or movement did Candido Portinari belong to?
Candido Portinari's artistic affiliations are complex, as his career spanned several decades and incorporated diverse influences. He is generally considered a modern artist, absorbing past traditions and fashioning a personal language. Some classify Portinari within the broader context of Brazilian[1] Modernism, a movement that sought to create a distinct national identity in the arts. Others associate him with social realism, because of his focus on the lives and struggles of ordinary people in Brazil. His paintings often depicted labourers, migrants, and the rural poor, reflecting social and political concerns. Although Portinari engaged with international art trends, such as Cubism, he adapted them to his own cultural context and artistic vision. He did not strictly adhere to any single style or movement; his work defies easy categorisation.What is Candido Portinari known for?
Candido Portinari is known for his paintings depicting Brazilian[1] life, particularly plantation workers, coffee pickers, labourers, and the poor. His notable works include The Mestizo (1934[1]) and Coffee (1935), and he is also recognised for his large mural cycle Guerra e Paz (War and Peace) at the United Nations headquarters.What was Candido Portinari's art style?
The biography mentions that Candido Portinari's style in his early maturity was characterised by bold blues and earth browns. His figures often appeared disproportionately large for their surroundings.
Sources
Where to See guide aggregates verified holdings of Candido Portinari's works across the following collections.
- [1] wikipedia Wikipedia: Candido Portinari Used for: biography.
- [2] book guggenheim-guhe00solo Used for: biography, stylistic analysis.
- [3] book guggenheim-masterp00solo Used for: biography.
- [4] book guggenheim-twopri00weis Used for: biography.
- [5] book Lilian H. Zirpolo, Historical Dictionary of Baroque Art and Architecture Used for: biography.
- [6] book Braun, Emily, 1957-; Asor Rosa, Alberto; Royal Academy of Arts (Great Britain), Italian art in the 20th century : painting and sculpture, 1900-1988 Used for: biography.
- [7] book Camnitzer, Luis(Author), Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Series in Latin American and Latino Art and Culture : Conceptualism in Latin American Art : Didactics of Liberation Used for: stylistic analysis.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-10-26. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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