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Originally from Itu, in São Paulo, José Ferraz de Almeida Júnior enrolled at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro in 1869 and received a gold medal from that institution five years later. He returned to his native city in 1875, where he stayed for only one year thanks to a scholarship granted by Emperor Dom Pedro II to study in Europe. During his stay, Almeida Júnior produced several iconic works of his career and participated in various exhibitions in France and Italy.

Back in Brazil in 1882, he set up his studio in São Paulo in the following year, where he portrayed various personalities of Brazilian society, including Princess Isabel and Emperor D. Pedro II.  On April 27, 1884, the publication Imprensa Ytuana described how his work environment was, "His atelier - if this little square room can be called that -, with low light and full of reflections - it is equipped with a large number of studies, sketches and paintings, if each of them can't be considered a complete work of art (and some are) - represents at least one stage of the artist's life, a moment of inspiration, an hour of joy, or one of profound study [...]. Today the artist paints the graceful, petulant, soft and rosy profile of a feminine head, tomorrow the angular forms - so fond of Miguel Angelo - of an old nude, almost an anatomical piece, covered in wrinkled yellowish parchment, with quick contrasts of light and shadow."

He died in a crime of passion on November 13, 1899, and is considered one of the most admired artists of São Paulo in the 19th century.

We present today's beautiful painting thanks to the Pinacoteca de São Paulo.  : )

P.S. Another very interesting artist connected to Sao Paulo was Djanira da Motta e Silva, who became a gentle documentalist of Brazilian life. Read about her here. <3