Almeida Júnior

Almeida Júnior was a Brazilian painter regarded as a pioneer of art rooted in Brazil's own people and countryside. Born José Ferraz de Almeida Júnior in 1850 in the state of São Paulo, he trained in Rio de Janeiro and then in Paris. Rather than stick to grand European themes, he turned his skill toward the rural workers of his home region, known as caipiras.

His paintings of country folk resting, working, or lost in thought gave dignity and presence to ordinary Brazilian life, which was unusual for the academic art of his day. He handled light and everyday gesture with real naturalism. Almeida Júnior's career was cut short when he was killed in 1899, but he is now honored as a foundational figure in Brazilian painting.