Tomás Santa Rosa | From Kutanda to Quitandinha - 80 years

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The monumental mural created in 1944 in the swimming pool of the Hotel Quitandinha by Tomás Santa Rosa Júnior (1909–1956) is an invitation to dive into his poetics, fueled by a profusion of books, records and theater performances. The different ways of telling stories had been the center of his poetic production since the literary circles he frequented in the city of Parahyba (today, João Pessoa), where he was born and lived until early adulthood.

However, the youth's interest in becoming an artist was initially postponed by the urgencies of material life. During the years he worked as a public servant, his working hours were interspersed with drawings and poetry written on separate pieces of paper — now rare — and a brief career as a singer in a jazz band at the Radio Club of Pernambuco.

The move to the city of Rio de Janeiro occurred in 1932, motivated by the desire to make a living from his art. Upon arriving in the federal capital, Santa Rosa rented a guest house room at the address: Rua do Catete, 200. A few steps from the pension was the headquarters of the Flor do Abacate (Avocado Blossom) carnival ranch, which in that year's carnival celebration had been awarded for the third time in the Praça Onze (a historic square for the Rio’s Carnival in the 20th century) competitions with the parade “The taking of Babylon by the Persians” (“A tomada da Babilônia pelos persas”) and which, in the week before the party,

it had hosted the creation of the political group Frente Negra Carioca (Black Front of Rio), which had been organized around the pursuit to produce equal conditions in access to education and work in Brazil.

In that effervescent climate of Rio de Janeiro, it didn't take long for the name of Santa Rosa to become known among the city's publishing companies. The agile way he visualized the images that would be associated with books that would become classics in the following years made him quickly become known. This was the case with his cover for the poems of Urucungo, by Raul Bopp, his first graphic project at the time, and the novel Cacau by Jorge Amado. Both published in 1932, by the publishing company named Ariel. However, it was at José Olympio publishing company that Santa Rosa consolidated his work as a book editor, which expanded in dialog with several publishing companies.

In the following years, Santa Rosa's career expanded in several directions. As a set designer, he worked extensively with the company Os Comediantes (The Comedians in free translation), staged operas at the City Theater of Rio de Janeiro and collaborated in several productions at the Teatro Experimental do Negro (Black Experimental Theater). His work as an art critic at the newspaper A Manhã led him to join the newly created Brazilian Association of Art Critics in 1948. In the same year, he would take over the direction of the Performing Arts Department at the

Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro. Between all these activities, the time he had left to exhibit his works in rare solo exhibitions became shortage.

The work opportunities available to artists of his time were, perhaps, one of Santa Rosa's main concerns as he engaged in numerous commissions and working groups. In Quitandinha itself, Santa Rosa participated in the organizing team of the 1947 Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace and Security. A few years later, in 1951, he was part of the jury of the 1st Biennial of the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art, elected by the participating artists as the representative of the class. It was also while working at a congress that would deal with the professionalization of artists that Santa Rosa died in 1956 in New Delhi, due to heart problems.

The early end of his life left him with affectionate memories published in newspapers by several friends. At Quitandinha, his mural inspired by French writer Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (Vinte mil léguas submarinas) is an immense testament to his visits to Petrópolis.

Critical text: Tomás Santa Rosa - from the man to the artist

by Rildo Coelho

Read here

Video Thomas Mendel

Photo Lucas Landau, Thomas Mendel

Tomás Santa Rosa: Book showcases

Throughout his career as an artist, Santa Rosa continually carried out graphic projects for book covers, in partnership with several publishers. His first covers were on Ariel publishing company in 1932. However, it was at José Olympio publishing company that he contributed decisively to the visual identity of the literary production that would come to be called the “novel of the 30s” in the following decades.

Faced with modernist novels with a markedly regionalist character, Santa Rosa defined a pattern of monochromatic covers in different colors, which featured a central window in which a scene from the novel was represented in black and white. In this way, books by authors such as Jorge Amado, Graciliano Ramos and José Lins do Rego spread throughout Brazil in a defining way in expanding the national publishing market.

Over the years, Santa Rosa produced other projects for different José Olympio editorial lines. There, he edited the Rubáyát collection, specialized in translations of oriental poetry, as well as several other collections of foreign literature and non-fiction. Collaborations with other publishers were also numerous. A singular case was the publication of the book “Estrela da Manhã” (Morning Star) by Manuel Bandeira. Produced in 1936, it was published independently, with the support of the poet's friends and admirers.

In Santa Rosa's editorial production, also draws attention his interest in projects about black cultures in Brazil. Among these editions, one of the oldest that we can identify is the recipe book “Caderno de Xangô”, published by Sodré Vianna by Bahiana publishing company in 1939. This work was followed by collaborations with different Brazilian researchers. In 1949, Santa Rosa illustrated the article “Black Art in Brazil” by anthropologist Arthur Ramos, published in the Culture magazine of the Ministry of Education and Health, which later became a seminal text in the history of black art in Brazil.

Santa Rosa's work in the publishing market gains more nuances when we analyze the diversity of projects in which he was involved. In publications of different formats, he ensured that his printed materials circulated independently to exhibition spaces. For example, in the books by Hipocampo publishing company, which always had a single page with an abstract composition by the artist, or in books of poetry printed in large format such as “Espumas Flutuantes” (Floating Foams in free translation) and “Canto da Noite” (Song of the Night in free translation), which reproduced engravings on some of their inner pages.

By mapping Santa Rosa's various projects aimed at children, we were also able to gain insight into their multiple experiences in the publishing market throughout their production. In 1937, he was awarded a prize in a children's book competition organized by the Ministry of Education and Health with “O Circo” (The Circus), carried out in partnership with the publishing company Desclée de Brouwer. The edition was printed in France, allowing access to pigments that gave it a color quality that was rare among publications in the country.

The book was published a year after his first project of the genre, “Histórias da Velha Totônia” (Stories of the Old Lady Totônia in free translation) by writer and friend José Lins do Rego, published by publishing company José Olympio. Two years later, Santa Rosa would produce a series of children's books in partnership with novelist Marques Rabelo. The relationship between the two would extend throughout the following decade, when the writer held a series of exhibitions in the capitals of different states to promote modernist painting in Brazil.

Um Apólogo: Machado de Assis (movie)

Newspappers and Magazines

Santa Rosa's relationship with literature took on varied formats throughout his career. While his production of book covers continued steadily over the years, experiments with different formats unfolded in each partnership. In this way, we can identify very elaborate editions, designed for the publishing market, as well as partnerships in adaptations of classic texts for theater and cinema.

One of these projects is the collaboration with filmmaker Humberto Mauro in adapting the short story “Um apólogo” (The Fable in free translation). The original text was published by writer Machado de Assis for the first time on March 1st, 1885 in the “Gazeta de Notícias” newspaper in Rio de Janeiro. In the film, released in 1939 as part of the production of the National Institute of Educational Cinema, the filmmaker accurately reproduces the dialog written by Machado between a thread spool and a needle. That narrative is constructed with the help of drawings of Santa Rosa inserted in the film and a markedly theatrical set design.

A few years later, Santa Rosa would produce a set of engravings for the novel ‘A Casa Velha” (The Old House in free translation), written by Machado de Assis and published only posthumously, in 1944.

How many steps does an illustration go through before it reaches the pages of a newspaper? The printing industry of the mid-20th century was a vast laboratory for Tomás Santa Rosa's artistic practice. This interest was fueled by a wide universe of images that he himself consumed, including art books, illustrated magazines and jazz album covers, which he listened to passionately, and was consolidated in the Advertising Design and Graphic Arts Course, coordinated by him at Getúlio Vargas Foundation in 1947 and 1948.

The possibilities of making his drawings circulate led him to assume the profile of an artist who obstinately experimented the most diverse materials. Between engravings made on different matrices, drawings made with pencil, charcoal, pastel chalk or even pen, we can follow the variety of styles that Santa Rosa's production has assumed over the years. These diverse approaches can be observed in the ways he represented the human figure.

Between an agile sketch of a costume and the drawing of a male torso in a classic position from academic arts education, we can observe how the study of the different purposes of its production define a broad visualization. In his illustrations for the Sunday supplement “Letras & Artes” ( Letters & Arts in free translation) of the newspaper “A Manhã” from Rio de Janeiro, Santa Rosa assumes the limitations of the daily press and produces his drawings highlighting the contrast between the different thicknesses of the lines as an expressive factor. A production that contrasts with his representation of the biblical episode of the visitation, possibly created to be the matrix for a Christmas card, in which he selects a palette of limited colors to work with the multiple variations of tones between them.

TOMÁS SANTA ROSA AT THE THEATER

The theater in Brazil, at the beginning of the 20th century, was going through a transition phase. European influences, especially French and Italian, played a significant role in the theatrical style of the time. The set design, until then, was considered a secondary element, since the construction of the scenic environment was based on the use of painted screens, realistic furniture, accessories and accessories that lacked a specific function in the scene.

However, some artists began to seek a more authentic and representative approach to Brazilian culture, which began to include elements of popular culture and favor other aesthetic possibilities over the dominant realism. This transition marked a period of great effervescence in the country's theater scene.

Santa Rosa was one of these artists. Santa Rosa became a remarkable and fundamental character in the formation of modern Brazilian theater. His contribution went far beyond the simple introduction of unknown theatrical techniques. He stood out as a pioneer in the expansion of space by creating imaginary worlds that challenged set design immobility. By innovating in the constructive structure, in the lighting effects and in the exploration of the psychological factors that shaped paintings, scenes and characters, he assumed the true position of co-author in the pieces in which he collaborated. He left a lasting legacy in theatrical art by elevating the set design from a mere decorative element to a form of artistic expression

essential to theatrical communication. His contribution is invaluable and continues to inspire artists and theater professionals.

Captions for the program niche and the model display: Vestido de Noiva

From 1942 to 1950, Santa Rosa collaborated with Polish director Zbigniew Ziembinski in the production of seven theater shows. Among these productions, we highlight Vestido de Noiva (Wedding Dress in free translation), by Nelson Rodrigues; Pelléas and Mélisande, by Maurice Maeterlinck and A Rainha Morta (The Dead Queen in free translation), by Henry de Montherlant. In all of these montages, Santa Rosa incorporated some of the principles of the symbolist and expressionist movements, based on references he had contact with cinema and in conversations with Ziembinski.

By bringing to Brazil a methodology that revealed the hidden meanings of the text and explored the expressionist gestures of the actors, Ziembinski paid special attention to set lighting, which at the time was still in its initial stages in the country. The incorporation of electric lighting triggered significant changes in set design, which forced a visual transformation of the scene and, consequently, stimulated the emergence of new approaches and the creation of innovative possibilities.

The lighting began to play a crucial role in creating shadow effects that could magnify or distort set elements, sending a variety of meanings. These effects were intrinsically linked to expressionist aesthetics and could quickly change the meaning of a scene. Ultimately, it was the light that shaped the scenic space from then on, and the set designer was responsible for integrating it into his work.

Since 1943, Santa Rosa has incorporated lighting into his work, dedicating himself to examining his models under the influence of light and adapting them according to this. The lighting served as a source of inspiration for constructivist and non-realistic set designs, being used to determine dramatic spaces. Suggestive elements, which contour the scene, often slight and hollow, could be penetrated by light, resulting in projections of shadows and varied interpretations, according to the position and tone of the light source.

The famous production of the play Vestido de Noiva, written by Nelson Rodrigues, at the end of 1943, represents one of the most significant moments in the history of modern Brazilian theater. Under the direction of Ziembinski, this dramatic play, original in its content and form, triggered major transformations in the theatrical panorama by incorporating symbolist and expressionist elements, offering an innovative and audacious approach to exploring the psychology of the characters.

One of the most striking aspects of the production was the set design of Santa Rosa, who, at 34 years old, achieved great prestige with her artistic expression. By overlapping three set design planes, Santa Rosa created a stripped and symbolic image, which enabled agile scene transitions, helped by innovative lighting. The simplicity, economy of lines, constructive three-dimensionality and level variations encouraged spectators to use their imagination based on just a few elements.

The combination of the thematic boldness of Nelson Rodrigues' play, Ziembinski's direction and the inventiveness of Santa Rosa's set design is a notable example of how art can challenge the public expectations. The production of Vestido de Noiva was not only significant in the history of Brazilian theater, but also opened new paths for dramaturgy and set design in the country.

Captions for the program niche and the model display: Romeu e Julieta

Tomás Santa Rosa Júnior played a crucial role in the transformation of scenic space in Brazil, promoting innovation, experimentation and elevating the status of set design as a crucial art form for theater, influencing the materialization of scenarios through colors and shapes, light and shadow.

The set designer, until then, was limited to painted screens, furniture provided by local merchants and objects with purely decorative functions, in which the set designer was often considered just a mere background. By incorporating a sophisticated and innovative approach, Santa Rosa expanded the possibilities for creating more immersive and enriching environments and atmospheres through the creative and expressive use of visual and sound elements. His bold constructivist approach incorporated three-dimensional planes and lighting effects into the set design, playing a fundamental role in the psychological construction of frames, scenes and characters, thus consolidating his impact on the theatrical set design field.

Theater has always practiced a deep fascination for the artist. The escape line perspective and the sensation of the third dimension were already present since his first creations. It was just a matter of time and opportunity for this passion to fully blossom. With his vision, the set design space began to play a fundamental role in theatrical narrative, contributing to the construction of worlds that enrich the audience's experience.

Santa Rosa left a lasting legacy in theatrical art by elevating the set design from a mere decorative element to a form of artistic expression essential to theatrical communication. His contribution is invaluable and continues to inspire artists and theater professionals.

In 1949, Santa Rosa was responsible for designing the sets and costumes for the revival of Romeo and Juliet for the Teatro do Estudante do Brasil - TEB (Brazilian Student Theater), by Paschoal Carlos Magno. This new production of Shakespeare's classic featured Tchaikovsky's soundtrack and choreography created by Tatiana Leskova. The show was part of the 1st Shakespeare Festival in Brazil held at Teatro Fênix, being a great achievement for Teatro do Estudante (Brazilian Student Theater).

In the first image, we can see the “balcony scene”. The second image shows the ball at the Capuletos residence, while the third captures a conversation at the Capuletos home between the maid, Juliet, and Mrs. Capuleto. Finally, in the fourth image, the final scene in the Capulet mausoleum.

There were at least three additional set designs. Santa Rosa did not simplify the set design, as he usually did in productions with multiple dramatic spaces. Without completely eliminating historical references, he found a balance between symbolism and realism, designing delicate spaces that adapted to the movement of the scene.

"Theater is school. Addressing an audience and exposing the truths of life and art to that audience is performing a noble action. And when a meritorious action is performed, it is fair that we do not expect the slightest retribution I feel paid, with a high price, for having experienced theater. Loving the theater, and wanting to cultivate it, I decided to contribute my share of work, through set design."

Tomás Santa Rosa

(in BARSANTE, Cássio Emanuel. A vida ilustrada de Tomás Santa Rosa. Rio de Janeiro: Bookmakers, 1993, p. 33).

In 1952, Santa Rosa joined the team at Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro (City Theater), where he directed his talent to creating sets and costumes for operas in the last years of his life. For four years, he contributed to the set designs for at least fifteen ballets and operas that were performed by the theater's cast.

Due to the need to provide free space for the movement of singers, dancers and extras on stage, Santa Rosa combined his studies in set designer and painting. Despite softening the space complexity, he managed to integrate painting in a more meaningful and less decorative way into the shows, without, however, giving up modern techniques. During this period, he demonstrated boldness in exploring the symbolism of colors in his last major works, such as the black and white scenes for Don Giovanni and the black and red for Carmen. These choices generated a result of great visual impact and contributed to the unique atmosphere of each opera, demonstrating his mastery of set design as an essential element in the theatrical narrative.

Santa Rosa's ability to visually update the tradition of Theatro Municipal (City Theater) operas for the public was another striking feature of his art. His sets were not mere static backgrounds, but rather living and supporting elements that accentuated the narrative and evoked emotions.

model display: Óperas

The production of the opera La Traviata, by Giuseppe Verdi, in 1955 at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, received special care from Santa Rosa. The artist demonstrated his mastery in creating environments that evoked the romantic and emotional atmosphere of the opera, transporting the audience to the elegant Parisian society of the 19th century, when the tragic love story unfolds. The picturesque inspired scenarios were carefully planned and richly decorated, becoming essential for immersing the public in the narrative.

The choice of colors, the arrangement of set design elements and the attention to details contributed to a rich and shocking interpretation of La Traviata, providing a dynamic backdrop for the opera's dramatic developments.

programa niche: O Filho Pródigo

The Teatro Experimental do Negro (Black Experimental Theater), company founded by Abdias Nascimento in 1944, played a pioneering role in promoting the fight for racial equality in the performing arts in Brazil. This cultural and theatrical movement emerged at a time of profound transformations in Brazilian society, in which the imminent end of the Estado Novo (a dictatorship government) made it possible for the black population to return to self-organization in the face of the perpetuation of racism in the country. The TEN pursued to address these issues, using theater as a tool for expression, awareness and social transformation In addition to offering literacy and cultural training courses, the company promoted a wide range of activities, including lectures, seminars, congresses, concerts and beauty contests, all with a central focus on art and the social condition of black people in Brazil. He also played a fundamental role in promoting a new dramaturgy, in which black people were portrayed as characters with dramatic depth, breaking with the stereotype of supporting characters or comic figures. In a short time, TEN achieved an emphasis at the avant-garde of Brazilian theater.

Santa Rosa actively collaborated with the TEN in six productions, between 1946 and 1949. In this dialog, he contributed to the innovative aesthetics that marked the movement, producing set design projects focused on elements that highlighted African cultural heritage, providing a visual context that accentuated the current period of time of those staged shows.

The partnership between Santa Rosa and TEN reinforced the crucial role of theater as a tool of resistance and social change. The group's productions, with Santa Rosa's talent in creating their set designs, helped to challenge racial stereotypes, to highlight the rich Afro-Brazilian cultural heritage and to create a space of positive representation for black actors and actresses in Brazilian theater. As a result, the Teatro Experimental do Negro (Black Experimental Theater) and Santa Rosa's contribution left a lasting legacy, demonstrating how theater can be an effective platform for promoting racial equality and advancing social consciousness. They contributed to the formation of a theatrical culture committed to equality, influencing future generations of artists and driving dialog about the importance of diversity and equity in the performing arts.

model display: Aruanda

In December 1948, at Teatro Ginástico, was the premiere of the play Aruanda, written by Joaquim Ribeiro and directed by Abdias Nascimento. The Afro-Brazilian Orchestra, conducted by maestro Abigail Moura, performed original compositions by Gentil Puget, playing a crucial role in transforming Aruanda into a show with multifaceted characteristics of black performances, intertwining elements of dance, singing, theater, play and ritual . The result was something that transcended the simple overlap of all these artistic forms, creating a rich experience that echoed Afro-Brazilian cultural traditions.

The Santa Rosa scene featured picturesque elements positioned at the back of the stage, highlighting the two-dimensional trees, represented in geometric shapes and adorned with colorful patterns, highlighting the modernity of the black experience.

The two-dimensional set design facilitated the evolution of the numerous cast and allowed dance evolutions, transporting the public to a symbolic and spiritual universe, full of elements of African culture in Brazil. The carefully chosen colors and decorative elements evoked ancient traditions. The skillful use of lighting accentuated the magical atmosphere of the play, immersing spectators in an environment of multiple sensations.

SANTA ROSA AT QUITANDINHA SWIMMING POOL

Travel literature constitutes one of the most important achievements of contact between peoples in the 20th century. The invention of tourism, which made groups interested in other geographies, has art and artists as its first allies. Illustrated itineraries, watercolors that replaced photographs, when they were not yet so simple to reproduce. However, when we look at Quitandinha's indoor pool, with the murals by Tomás Santa Rosa, inaugurated together with the building in 1944, we have the opportunity to further expand the relationship between illustrating an experience and having seen it. Santa Rosa, here, he starts imagining, thinking, dreaming.

Still in the 19th century, writer Jules Verne revolutionized travel literature by taking on the imaginative dimension of journeys he never took, giving rise to a long tradition of fantastic literature. And the pool that Santa Rosa artfully occupies is based on one of 1869 Verne's classics, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (in Portuguese, Vinte mil Léguas Submarinas). The narrative, filmed in the early days of cinema by Georges Méliès, in 1907, describes the adventures of creating a submarine that fights a battle with underwater nature, full of octopuses, anemones and stingrays. Read in another way, there is a kind of revenge of nature itself when reacting to an enemy (the submarine) that tries to travel and explore that environment, resonating actions of defense and preservation of nature.

The Quitandinha swimming pool has certain peculiarities. Its depth is greater than

four and a half meters is intended for diving, an ancient practice that Hollywood films popularized. It is said that actress and swimmer Esther Williams was at the opening of the pool. In front of the monumental mural by Tomás Santa Rosa, aesthetic-formal relations expand. During the period in which it was carried out, Mexican Murals had gained strength, and Latin America embraced the interest of creating works for large audiences, applied to city walls, compared to contemporary graffiti art. Santa Rosa, a black man from the state of Paraíba, thinks and makes the Quitandinha pool even deeper, as aquatic creatures are already strolling over the heads of those who haven't yet dived. Otherwise, the murals of Santa Rosa make the entire Quitandinha a space of possible fables.

Ten years after the mural was created, Verne's book gained even more popularity with its first adaptation into a film, made by the Walt Disney studio. Today, renowned black artists in literature, visual arts and cinema rework the black experience, “fictionalizing” the history of Afro-descendant people around the world and creating stories around the idea of Afro-futurism. Here, Santa Rosa's murals for the Quitandinha hotel swimming pool take on a new dimension — his history inspires, as a monument that connects the past and future of our history.

SANTA ROSA AT THE CARNIVAL

Rio de Janeiro's old carnival decorations represent a valuable chapter in the city's history and play a significant role in its cultural identity. Over the decades, these decorations became visual testimonies of the festivities and celebrations that adorned the city. More than simple adornments, they were artistic expressions in dialog with the population on the streets who, with their colorful costumes, turned the public space into true open-air galleries.

Carnival in the early 20th century, as a reflection of the deeply stratified society, gave rise to celebrations in a variety of formats. During the festival, carnival societies, carnival paredes, confetti battles coexisted, as well as balls attended by the richer classes. In the following decades, carnival began to be organized between ranches and samba schools, in line with changes in the radio industry in the city, and with the first competitions between associations.

The first of these events was organized by the samba singer, babalorixá and journalist Zé Espinguela, and took place in January 1929. Since 1932 carnival, the parades were consolidated in Praça Onze, in the Cidade Nova region, Rio’s downtown, with the support of local newspapers and the City Hall.

The tradition of decorating streets and forefronts accompanied the transformations of Carnival, with the increasing construction of allegorical groups, supervised by party committees appointed by residents. With the aim of making Rio de Janeiro's carnival an attraction for the city's thriving tourism market, the City Hall assigned the set designer Luís Peixoto with the responsibility of designing the first official decoration of Rio Branco Anevue for the year of 1928 festivities.

In the following years, several intellectuals, artists, state agents and the population in general contributed in different ways to publicizing the carnival festival. During the 1954 carnival, Santa Rosa was invited by the City Hall to create the carnival's street decoration, in partnership with the set designer Flávio Souza. Even though he was not an enthusiastic of Carnival, Santa Rosa appreciated the spontaneity of the party and the artistic opportunities that this popular event offered.

Between the immense dolls representing the Pernambuco frevo dance, installed in Cinelândia Square, and an Eiffel Tower adorned with flowers, harlequins, columbines and pierrots in Paris Square, the duo of artists used a profusion of colors to create their carnival.