Lasar Segall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Lasar Segall
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Lasar Segall
July 21, 1889 |
| Died | August 2, 1957 (aged 68) |
| Nationality | Lithuanian Jewish and Brazilian |
| Education | Prussian Academy of Arts, Dresden Art Academy, Semana de Arte Moderna movement |
| Movement | Impressionist, Expressionist, Modernist |
Lasar Segall (born July 21, 1889 – died August 2, 1957) was a talented artist. He was a painter, engraver, and sculptor. Lasar Segall was from Lithuania and later became a Brazilian citizen. His art style mixed impressionism, expressionism, and modernism. He often showed themes like challenges people face, difficult times, and people being treated unfairly.
Contents
Early Life and Art School
Lasar Segall was born in Vilnius, Lithuania. His father was a Torah scribe, a person who writes religious texts.
When he was 15, Segall moved to Berlin, Germany. He studied art at the Prussian Academy of Arts from 1906 to 1910. After that, he moved to Dresden to continue his studies. He became a "Meisterschüler" (master student) at the Dresden Academy of Fine Arts.
Art Career
Expressing Feelings Through Art
In 1919, Segall published a book of five etchings in Dresden. It was called Sovenirs of Vilna. He also made two books with lithographs, which are special prints. These books were titled Bubu and die Sanfte.
Segall started to create his own unique art style. It included ideas from Cubism, which uses geometric shapes. He also explored his Jewish background in his art. His early paintings from the 1910s and early 1920s showed troubled figures. They were often in tight spaces with strong, bold features. These paintings were inspired by African tribal art.
In 1912, he painted a series of works in an elderly mental hospital. Segall's art often showed groups of people facing difficulties. He used an Expressionist style, which focuses on showing emotions. Later that year, he moved to São Paulo, Brazil. Three of his brothers and sisters already lived there.
He went back to Dresden in 1914 and continued to work in the Expressionist style. In 1919, Segall helped start an art group called 'Dresdner Sezession Gruppe 1919'. Other artists like Otto Dix were part of it. Segall's art show at the Gurlitt Gallery won many awards. Even though he was successful in Europe, his time in Brazil had a big impact on him. It changed his art style and what he painted. Visiting Brazil gave Segall new ideas about South American art. This made him want to return to Brazil again.
New Art in Brazil: Modernist Ideas
Even though Segall was still a Russian citizen, he moved back to Brazil in 1923. When he returned to São Paulo, he and his first wife, Margarete, became Brazilian citizens.
Many Brazilian artists influenced what Segall painted. They also helped make his Cubist style stronger. Some of his artwork caused discussions. Because of this, he and other artists helped organize a pro-Modernist event. It was called the Semana de Arte Moderna (Week of Modern Art).
The Semana de Arte Moderna was held in 1922. Segall was one of the main artists in this art show. The week-long event featured Segall's work. It also included controversial art by Anita Malfatti. The event had paintings, performances, and other art forms. Segall's new and exciting art ideas made him a top modern artist in Brazil. Other famous artists at that time included Candido Portinari and Emiliano Di Cavalcanti.
Segall planned to live only in Brazil. However, he kept traveling back and forth to Europe for his own art shows. In 1925, Segall became very close to his student Jenny Klabin. They later got married.
Sociedade Pro-Arte Moderna (SPAM)
In 1932, after visiting Paris and Germany, Segall started an organization. It was called Sociedade Pro-Arte Moderna (SPAM). Other artists joined him. This group lasted for a short time, from November 1932 to December 1934. Like the Semana de Arte Moderna, SPAM included early modern artists from São Paulo.
SPAM's main goal was to connect artists, thinkers, art collectors, and the public. It also aimed to create a public space for new and exciting art in Brazil.
SPAM held two art shows. The first show displayed works from the School of Paris. These came from different collections in São Paulo. It also featured Brazilian artists of that time. The well-known Modernist artist, Tarsila do Amaral, showed her art there. Local artists like Anita Malfatti, Victor Brecheret, and John Graz also participated. The second part of the show only featured Brazilian artists. They were from São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. These included di Cavalcanti, Ismael Nery, and Candido Portinari.
SPAM also held two important "balls" or parties. The rooms for these parties were called "Cidade de SPAM" (City of SPAM). These events were not just for raising money. They were performances to make people think about the changing art movement in Brazil. They had live music, dancers, special scenery, artwork, and fancy costumes. The sets looked like "mini towns." SPAM even had its own newspapers, a special song, and different groups that ran it.
Segall's works in the SPAM exhibition included two important series from 1935. These were Campos do Jordao landscapes and the Portraits of Lucy. Lucy was a student of Segall's, and he made many pictures of her. The Campos do Jordao landscapes and Portraits of Lucy showed the world's challenges. They depicted difficult times and sadness.
The SPAM organization worked for fairness. However, disagreements arose with a group called Integralists. These were Brazilian nationalists who did not like foreigners in Brazil, especially Jewish people. Because of these challenges and pressure on SPAM's members, the group eventually broke apart. Segall, who was a main leader, was disappointed, and the group ended.
Later Years
Segall was deeply affected by the poor areas of Rio de Janeiro, called the Mangue. He created images about these places throughout his later career. His earlier focus on people's difficulties led him to create one of his most famous artworks. It was made in 1939 and 1940 and called Navio de emigrantes (Ship of Emigrants). This painting shows many people crowded on a ship's dock. It shows the challenges faced by people moving to new places. It also highlights the difficulties and unfair treatment many immigrants experienced at that time.
In the mid-1940s, Segall published his series of Mangue drawings. These drawings showed poverty, especially in the slums of Rio de Janeiro. As he felt more connected to his Brazilian nationality, Segall showed these images in a clear way. These pictures of people facing difficulties gave a strong cultural identity to the people living in Rio de Janeiro.
From 1949 until he passed away in 1957, he continued to create engravings and paintings of the Mangue. He also made a series called Wandering, Women, and Forests.
Art Themes and Meanings
In his early career, Segall's art themes were shown in a softer way. He did not show much African influence until he moved to Brazil. It was only after his first visits to Brazil that he started using the Expressionist style. He could express himself more freely. He also showed the ongoing theme of his Jewish culture, depicting the challenges faced by European Jews. Even though he cared about all people, he never forgot his Jewish background.
Segall's first paintings in Brazil showed a strong connection to his new home. He painted the landscapes in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. He showed different races of people without tension or bad intentions. However, Segall stayed true to his Cubist style in most of his artworks.
For example, one of his famous paintings is called Banana Plantation. It shows a very dense Brazilian banana plantation. Segall made the painting balanced by placing a worker's neck and head in the center. This makes you focus on the middle of the painting. This balance highlights the human effort involved in Brazil's farming system. In the 1920s, slavery in Brazil had ended. European workers came to Brazil in large numbers to replace the former slaves. This painting shows how Europeans became a big part of the plantations.
Another important theme in Segall's work is people facing difficulties and moving to new countries. In another famous artwork, Ship of Emigrants, a ship dock is very crowded with passengers. The image shows a dark and sad feeling. It also clearly shows the troubled people on the ship. Their serious faces and lack of expression show the tough reality for immigrants. It highlights their difficult lives when they are forced to move.
Museu Lasar Segall
Lasar Segall's home in São Paulo is now a museum. It has his furniture, books, and plants. It also displays his most famous artworks. It is a non-profit organization that is highly respected in São Paulo.
The Museu Lasar Segall is also a center for art activities in São Paulo. People can take part in cultural events regularly. Art classes like photography, engraving, and film studies are held in Segall's former home. The Museum also has a large, well-known art library. It has special books about photography and performance arts.
The Museu Lasar Segall is kept to help people explore different art forms. It also helps keep Brazil's cultural identity strong. The art created in Brazil is unique. The Museum exists today because Brazil wants to keep its strong national identity. It also wants to preserve Lasar Segall's art, which was deeply influenced by Brazil.
Art Exhibitions
Lasar Segall's art was shown in many places around the world. Here are some of his important exhibitions:
- March 1913: Solo show in São Paulo; June 1913: Solo show in Campinas, Brazil.
- 1920: Big solo show at the Museum Folkwang in Hagen, Germany. Another solo show at the Schames Gallery in Frankfurt.
- 1922: Took part in the International Art Exhibition in Düsseldorf, Germany.
- 1924: Solo show in São Paulo.
- 1926: Exhibitions at the Galerie Nierendorf, Berlin, and Neue Kunst Fides Gallery, Dresden.
- 1927: Solo show in São Paulo.
- 1928: Solo show at the Rio Palace Hotel, Rio de Janeiro.
- 1935: Took part in the International Painting Exhibition at Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh, USA.
- 1937: Ten of his works were shown at the Nazi-sponsored Degenerate Art Exhibition in Munich, Germany. This exhibition aimed to criticize modern art.
- 1938: Solo show at Renou et Colle Gallery, Paris.
- 1945: Took part in the exhibition "Art Condemned by the Third Reich" at Askanazy Gallery, Rio de Janeiro.
- 1948: Solo show at Associated American Artists Galleries, New York.
Famous Artworks
Here are some of Lasar Segall's well-known artworks:
- tres jovens (Three Young People), 1939, bronze sculpture, at Pinacoteca, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
- Os eternos caminhantes (The Eternal Wanderers), 1919, oil on canvas, at Museu Lasar Segall, São Paulo.
- Banana Plantation, 1927, oil on canvas, at State Picture Gallery, São Paulo.
- Brazilian Landscape, 1927, watercolor, at Museu Lasar Segall, São Paulo.
- The Third Class, 1928, drypoint on paper, at Museu Lasar Segall, São Paulo.
- Rua do Mangue (Street of Mangue), 1928, drypoint and etching on paper, at Museu Lasar Segall, São Paulo.
- Primeira classe (First Class), 1929, drypoint and etching on paper, at Museu Lasar Segall, São Paulo.
- Emigrantes (Emigrants), 1929, drypoint on paper, at Museu Lasar Segall, São Paulo.
- Favela (Shantytown), 1930, drypoint on paper, at Museu Lasar Segall, São Paulo.
- Figura feminina reclinada (Reclining Woman), 1930, oil on canvas, in a Private Collection, São Paulo.
- Navio de emigrantes (Ship of Emigrants), 1939–1940, oil with sand on canvas, at Museu Lasar Segall, São Paulo.
- Woman from the 'Mangue' with Persiennes, 1942, woodcut on Japanese paper, at Museu Lasar Segall, São Paulo.
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