First works
Azorean art forged its identity relatively recently. The first forms of artistic expression were religious and long linked to the first populations. Flemish art dominated for many decades, in two forms. For the most part, works were imported directly from the workshops of Antwerp, Brussels or Mechelen to adorn religious buildings. The most famous imported Flemish works are the statue of Our Lady of Miracles in the church of Vila Nova do Corvo and the Descent from the Cross in the church of Altares in Terceira. Secondly, the Azoreans began to copy or draw inspiration from Flemish artists. The Flemish influence can be clearly seen in the triptych of Saint Andrew, which adorns the church of Nossa Senhora da Estrela, on the island of São Miguel, and in the Triptych of the Adoration of the Magi, preserved in the Angra Museum.
Religious art is on display at the Velas Museum of Sacred Art, developed through the acquisitions of Father Manuel Garcia Silveira. Located in the annexes of the Matriz de Velas church, it displays precious liturgical instruments, sacred images, sculptures and photographs dating from the 16th to the 20th century.
Baroque
Baroque, which arrived later than in the rest of Europe, developed in the Azores with an extravagance enriched by the crafts prized on the islands. The interiors of religious buildings erected in the 17th and 18th centuries display an unprecedented decorative exuberance in sculpture, painting, furniture, goldsmiths and ceramics. But what characterizes Azorean art is its woodwork and its association with the art of azulejos, which reached its apogee during this period.
One of the most sumptuous examples of Azorean religious art is to be found in thechurch of Santa Barbara, built on the oceanfront opposite Pico. The first part of the church dates back to the end of the 15th century, when the island of São Jorge was first colonized. Listed as a national monument, it features azulejos depicting the life of the church's patron saint. Saint George, the Holy Spirit and Saint Barbara are featured in the ornamentation of the splendid cedarwood ceiling. Pilasters, entablatures, statuary and azulejo panels create an unparalleled decorative wealth.
Another model of its kind is the gilded altarpiece and Baroque azulejos depicting the Passion of Christ by Antonio de Oliveira Bernardes, in the Convent of Nossa Senhora da Esperança. Founded in the 16th century in Ponta Delgada, it houses the Christ of Miracles, which attracts pilgrims on the feast of Santo Cristo. Many emigrants return on this occasion and join the pilgrims in the procession in honor of the patron saint.
The three naves of Horta's Saint Francis church are also richly decorated in Baroque style. Panels of 18th-century azulejos adorn the choir, embellished with splendid gilding. Baroque jewels can be found on every island. On Terceira, Angra do Heroísmo, whose historic center is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, boasts some remarkable works. For the Baroque period, the Convent of São Gonçalo and its "golden church" are adorned with superb carved and gilded woodwork. The Museum of Angra do Heroísmo, housed in a Franciscan convent since 1949, offers a permanent exhibition in four sections, including Azorean works and paintings on wood from the 16th and 17th centuries. The Azores are told through a motley collection of works and objects: toys, musical instruments, cameras, drawings and engravings, coins, nautical instruments, military art and decorative arts combine with architectural elements, sculptures and paintings to create a portrait of Azorean culture.
In addition to the museum, the convent houses the Church of São Francisco, also known as the Church of Nossa Senhora da Guia, a remarkable example of 18th-century religious architecture. Its sculptures, statues and azulejo panels make for an exceptional setting.
19th century, the first painters
The bourgeoisie, enriched by the beginnings of oranges, called on local artists to embellish their homes and create family portraits. The Carlos Machado Museum, which combines local modern art with sacred art, presents portraits in Azorean style. From the 19th century, colorful genre scenes and classical busts of local personalities stand alongside portraits of powerful social realism, such as L'Estropié by Duarte Faria e Maria. The collection also features contemporary works, including conceptual art such as Tomaz Vieira's Iles Emaladas, which questions the notion of belonging to an island.
Throughout Portugal, the last three decades of the 19th century represented a period of aesthetic change as the nation attempted to redefine a Portuguese culture and identity, a phenomenon all the more complex in the islands. In Europe, Italian art lost its appeal and French influence grew stronger. Many Azorean artists went to study in Paris, where they came into contact with new trends: the Barbizon school and the art of Courbet, Daubigny, Degas and Manet. These painters focused on a realistic rendering of their environment, without trying to immortalize or accentuate its charms. Everyday people are used as models. António da Silva Porto, João Marques de Oliveira, Henrique Pousão, José Julio de Sousa Pinto and Artur Loureiro (who worked in Australia from 1884 to 1904) were the first to adopt this new artistic line.
Some 20th century artists
The sculptor Canto da Maia (1890-1981) is considered the figurehead of Portuguese modernism. Marked by extreme sensitivity, he divided his time between the Azores, Lisbon and Paris. From the 1930s onwards, he received commissions from the National Commission as part of the Estado Novo programs, and created large-scale sculptures. He returned to his native Azores in 1953. Since 1976, the Machado Museum has devoted a permanent exhibition room to his graceful sculptures.
Domingos Rebelo (1891-1975) is probably the Azores' most emblematic painter. Influenced by his religious upbringing, he showed a talent for drawing and painting from an early age. Although the pictorial approaches of Cézanne and Matisse left their mark on him during his training in Paris, his art remains strongly connected to the Azores. Like no other, he depicts the traditions of his people, the rural world, its dances and festivities. His Os Emigrantes series is an integral part of Azorean imagery. Despite his many travels and career in Lisbon, Domingos Rebelo has always kept one foot in the Azores.
José Nuno Monteiro da Câmara Pereira, born on Santa Maria Island (1937-2018), pursued a parallel career as a teacher. A multi-faceted artist, he is one of the major Portuguese visual artists of the 1970s and 1980s, and has enjoyed numerous solo exhibitions in painting, installation, video, sculpture and ceramics. Following his return to the Azores in 1994, he became involved in public projects. In particular, he created a monumental work for the Pousada de Angra do Heroísmo, his home town. With a view to linking the archipelago to the international scene, he ran the Oficina d'Angra and the Centre Résidentiel pour Artistes.
Nowadays
Numerous initiatives testify to the dynamism of the Azorean art scene, which remains attached to the environment and its traditions. The Walk & Talk festival reaches its climax every July. Graffiti artists from all over the world are invited to Ponta Delgada to perform throughout the city. The works are then preserved on walls and street furniture. The Azores have their own master of street art, Pantónio, born in 1975. He is internationally renowned for the frescoes he creates around the world. In France, he left the largest mural in Europe, of fish climbing the 66-metre-high Sienne Tower in the 13th arrondissement of Paris. His style is characterized by simple, flowing lines and a predominance of blue and black.
Since 2001, Ponta Delgada has had a cultural center housed in a 17th-century house. The art gallery of the Centro Municipal de Cultura de Ponta Delgada hosts temporary exhibits of all kinds.
And art lovers won't want to leave without admiring the surprising building of the Centre d'Art Contemporain Arquipélago, a former alcohol and tobacco factory. This transdisciplinary venue fervently supports emerging culture.
Galerie Costa, run by the MiratecArts association of local artists, is the driving force behind a project that marries nature and culture to perfection. A route lined with a dozen works of art exposed to the four winds is proposed through the vineyards, along a one-kilometre trail on the island of Pico. The alternative scene meets at Arco 8, a bar that doubles as an art gallery and music venue. To satisfy the eyes, ears and taste buds of Ponta Delgada.
Photographic art is making its timid debut in the Azores. One example is the sensitive work of Pepe Bix, who has won awards around the world for his portraits of fishermen, "our last heroes". The photographer, born in the Azores in 1984 on the island of Santa Maria, has traveled as far as Newfoundland to document the world through his lens. It's no coincidence that his compatriot, photographer Francisco Salgueiro, has also chosen to become a travelling artist, devoting a moving series to circus performers.
