Ryan T. Miller and Dr. Willis Fails, Spanish and Portuguese
More commonly known as O Aleijadinho, Portuguese for “Little Cripple,” Antônio Francisco Lisboa is remembered as Brazil’s greatest artist of the colonial period. Born in 1730 to the son of a Portuguese craftsman and a black slave, Aleijadinho developed a degenerative condition—probably leprosy—that left him without the use of his hands. Aleijadinho’s suffering found a creative outlet in his work as a sculptor and architect. With a hammer and a chisel tucked under his arms, Aleijadinho designed churches and created highly expressive soapstone sculptures.
The Brazilian culture classes at BYU ascribe little recognition to Aleijadinho; as a matter of fact, they hardly scratch the surface. Antônio Francisco Lisboa was the most influential and prolific sculptor of the Brazilian colonial period. Despite physical disabilities and racism prevalent in his era, Aleijadinho triumphed as one of the most talented artists in the world during the colonial era. In an effort to enhance the Portuguese program at BYU, I proposed to integrate the study of the works and life of Aleijadinho into the curriculum of the Brazilian culture classes.
In order to arrive at a better understanding of Aleijadinho, I traveled to the state of Minas Gerais in Brazil, the location of his most famous works. I visited his most famous masterpieces: the Church of São Francisco de Assis and the majestic statues of the Twelve Prophets. The Twelve Prophets statues are symmetrically arranged on the steps and terraces leading up to the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Matozinho. I photographed the interior furnishings and outer designs of Aleijadinho’s churches. I also purchased pictures, postcards, and posters of his pieces. Altogether, I came away with several pictures of his soapstone sculptures and ornate churches. I kept meticulous records of the pictures to effectively catalog the images.
While in São Paulo, I visited the University of São Paulo. Surprisingly, there at Brazil’s most famous university, I found little relevant information on Brazil’s most celebrated sculptor. In fact, I gathered a significant portion of my research at American libraries and universities and from the Internet. In Minas Gerais, I took guided tours of Aleijadinho’s most famous works mentioned above. The tour guides gave me in depth details about Aleijadinho’s life and artistic creations. I also talked to the local people, hoping to come across any stories—myths or truths—that would give me another perspective on Aleijadinho; unfortunately, the local residents with whom I chatted knew little of their prolific forbearer.
The next phase of my project consisted of compiling the research. With the use of a scanner and CD-ROM writer, I compiled the pictures I had accumulated onto a compact disk. Fortunately, the pictures turned out well. Then I arranged the information, which I had gathered from the sources listed above, in a word-processed format as to organize my findings.
My research was thorough and comprehensive, although not entirely organized. My experience in Brazil was incredible—I discovered so much and I believe the results of my findings will vastly improve the Portuguese curriculum at BYU. I believe the professors should have the best possible resources to teach with. The integration of the life and art of Aleijadinho will enlighten and strengthen not only the BYU students but also the Portuguese program as a whole.