Paulo Pedro Leal

Paulo Pedro Leal (Brazilian, 1894-1968)

A self-taught artist known for his depictions of slum life in the Lapa section of Rio de Janeiro, Paulo Pedro Leal worked at various jobs before coming to the attention of local art dealers in 1961. Noted for his use of a dark color palette and crowded scenes, Leal, a self-described “spiritual painter,” created images of seafaring tragedies and crime, yet also explored the rituals and beliefs of the Afro-Brazilian Umbanda religion.

Important Source Material:

Araujo, Emanoel, A Mão Afro-Brasileira: Significado da Contribuição Artística e Histórica. 2nd Ed. Vol. 1, São Paulo: Museuafrobrasil, 2010. (Portuguese and English)

Ardies, Jacques and Geraldo Edson de Andrade, Naïve Art in Brazil, São Paulo: Empresa Das Artes, 1998.

TAL