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Show NEIGHBOR OALEIJAXDIXHO-A GREAT. nsible for some of the Tdaring and beautiful exam-1 exam-1 of Brazilian baroque born, Pmost manifestations of original Mn the Americas, of the clash old world tradition with new Irld atmosphere-is a little 7ple who lived in the State of ZZs Ceraes, Brazil, around the ddle of the 18th century. Antonio An-tonio Francisco Lisboa, "O Alei-andinho" Alei-andinho" (the little cripple) as he is generally known, has been said to be one of the first in the Americas to rebel against the artistic ar-tistic rule of Europe, one of the most valiant warriors in the crusade cru-sade of Creole against Iberian art that was carried on during the entire eighteenth century." To this day it seems hardly possible that one of the most original artists ar-tists in the history of Brazil should have worked, lived and died in a remote little region in the center of the country, shut out from other creative influences. 0 Aleijadinho Antonio Francisco Francis-co Lisboa was born at the Villa Fraca, today Ouro Preto, on the 29th of August, 1730. The son of a Portuguese architect ajid an African slave, he was, according to the chronicles "dark of skin, short of stature and ill-formed, with a round head set on a thick neck. His voice was loud and his speech violent, and his temperament tempera-ment sensual and licentious." He grew up in an atmosphere of culture, cul-ture, closely associated to his father's fa-ther's artistic and architectural work, learning from him and from his artist friends the skill, technique tech-nique and tradition which would help him develop his great natural talent. The reading of the Bible and of the Holy Scriptures of which he was very fond, and the contact with sonic eminent reli- gious of his time, strongly influenced influ-enced his work and marked it with a pronounced religious flavor. flav-or. Until the age of forty-seven, Antonio Francisco was a popular and successful sculptor-architect who led a free happy life. At that age, however, he contracted an in-. in-. curable disease a sort of lopro-I lopro-I sy which caused, him the most in- tolerable sufferings to the end of ' his days. "He was crippled and his feet rendered entirely useless by the ravages of the infirmity. I His hands were paralyzed and I atrophied, his eyelids inflamed, I his mouth toothless and contorted I into a horrible grin. His appear-! appear-! ance was sinister and ferocious, frightening all who saw him while he suffered an agony of pain in his diseased limbs. In fact, so repellent was his apnearance that the story is told that a newly purchased slave, preferring death to serving so repulsive a master, made an attempt against his own life. He failed in his attempt, however, how-ever, and Januario, the slave, came in time to be one of his most faithful servitors." With the aid of -this and a" couple of other slaves who were not only devoted to him but excellent artists, too, armed with indomitable courage, O Aleijandinho set out to continue his work. Some say that, turned into an object of pity and disgust, he rebelled against his fate and found an outlet only in his creations crea-tions which he inspired with a spirit of protest and independence. To others his search for the beautiful beau-tiful was merely the solace of his frustrated life. Scorned by all, "crippled in his soul as well as in his body," yet determined not to inspire commiseration, the little artist became almost aggressive in his bitterness. "Very early in the morning Yie would go to his work in the churches, returning to his house when the night was come, for he sought to elude the hours of daylight in his passage through the city so as not to be seen by the people of Ouro Preto. Pre-to. And when he had to go out by day, he quickened his horse's pace." To bury himself deeper in his tragedy, to isolate himself further fur-ther from the world and from men, the Cripple, enveloped in a voluminous coat, wore an enormous enor-mous brimmed hat that dropepd to his shoulders and thus hid his face from the glance of the indiscreet. indis-creet. Unable to walk, he dragged himself over the rough cobbles if the distance were short- or for longer ones was carried on the shoulders of the faithful Januario or went on horseback. Unceasingly Unceas-ingly he wrought and under his able hands, paralyzed and maimed though they were, stone and wood yielded to his will and were transformed trans-formed into beautiful sculptures and delicate carvings. Chisels and burins, mallets and hammers attached at-tached to his wrists replaced his now useless fingers. When he died, on November 18, 1814, he left behind him a large production among which was the series of figures of prophets in the church of Bom Jesus at Congonhas do Campo, which has become justly famous. This was the man whose admirable churches are the pride of the State of Minas Geraes and the most perfect exponents of Brazilian Bra-zilian baroque, the man whose scultures in soap stone and in wood remain as a tangible proof of his great talent. Such was the extraordinary artist who succeeded-in leaving behind him, as a testimony of his tragic life, some of the most beautiful works of art that the Americas have ever produced. |