The modernist marine paintings of Anita Malfatti

Anita Malfatti (2 December 1889—6 November 1964) occupies a special place in the history of Brazilian art. She was the first Brazilian painter to introduce Modernism to Brazil. In a country so used to old forms of realistic art, she ushered in the brave new world of Expressionism, defined by Tate UK as “art in which the image of reality is distorted in order to make it expessive of the artist’s inner feelings or ideas”.

What makes Malfatti’s artistic achievements more noteworthy is that she was born with atrophy in her right arm and hand. However, the congenital disorder did not deter her from pursuing her art. She painstakingly learned to paint with her left hand. [Read Malfatti’s short bio here.]

Malfatti’s Expressionist style is exemplified by this portrait painting done when she was 26 years old:

A estudante russa, 1915
Anita Malfatti (Brazilian, 1889–1964)
Image from WikiArt: Visual Art Encyclopedia

Expressive marine art

Malfatti made a scant few paintings that had a nautical theme. The four works shown below bear some of the hallmarks of Expressionism — intense, saturated colours; freely executed brushwork; and some degree of distortion. At the same time, they show Malfatti’s individuality as an artist.

Note: Malfatti’s artworks are presumed to be under copyright. I am sharing them for educational purposes under the Fair Use principle. — BU