In 1918, he arrived in Rio de Janeiro, where he entered the National School of Fine Arts. In 1922, he took part in the National Fine Arts Salon for the first time, winning the prize of a trip to Europe in 1928. He then settled in Paris, visiting Italy, England and Spain. He returned to Brazil in 1930. In 1936, he began working on frescoes and tile panels for the Ministry of Education and Health, which he completed in 1945. Also in 1936, he taught mural painting at the Art Institute of the University of the then Federal District.
In 1939, he opened a retrospective exhibition of his work at the National Museum of Fine Arts. Also in 1939, he produced panels for the New York World’s Fair Exhibition. In 1940, he had a solo exhibition at MoMA and, the following year, he produced panels for the Library of Congress in Washington. He received the Legion of Honour from the French government. He took part in the XXV Venice Biennale in 1950. One notable exhibition held after his death was the 1970 retrospective at the São Paulo Museum of Art.
Public Collections
Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (MNBA-RJ), Museu Casa de Portinari, Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo (PESP)
