Novecento Italiano in the Funerary Art of São Paulo Cemetery

Abstract

The funerary art of the Cemitério São Paulo, located in the capital of São Paulo state, emerges as a relevant field of study for understanding Italian artistic influences in twentieth-century São Paulo. Through an analysis of the work of three prominent Italo-Brazilian artists – Victor Brecheret, Galileo Emendabili, and Eugenio Prati – this article investigates the presence of Italian Novecento principles in the tomb sculpture and architecture of this necropolis. The context of the "return to order" proves to be fundamental in understanding the aesthetics and plasticity of funerary sculptures in São Paulo in the early twentieth century. In this sense, this study contributes to the understanding of the intersections between funerary art and art history, deepening the reflection on the developments of sculptural traditionalism in modernity.