Antônio Francisco Lisboa is better known as Aleijadinho, and is considered by many as Brazil's Michelangelo. He lived in Minas Gerais, in southeast Brazil around 1800. Aleijadinho was an architect of churches, as well as a prolific sculptor and woodcarver, and had much influence on the transformation of the architecture of his days. His most famous works are the Assisi Church in Ouro Preto (see photo below) and "The Prophets" sculptures in Congonhas (see photo below).
Who was the Brazilian architect and sculptor Antônio Francisco Lisboa
Antônio Francisco Lisboa was born in Ouro Preto [then called Villa Rica] in 1738, as the son of a Portuguese architect and his slave Isabel. He never had a formal training in architecture but was surrounded by four masters: his father [who, among other things, designed the Matriz NS da Conceição de Antônio Dias Church in Ouro Prêto], his uncle and two Portuguese specialists on baroque art.
These four men introduced him into the baroque art and Aleijadinho was considered a faithful student who studied independently and had an exceptional gift for sculpting and carving. Through pictures he studied European baroque and rococo and with this knowledge he developed his own style which later became known as Barroco Mineiro (see photo below) – Mineiro referring to Minas Gerais, which was the state where he lived and worked.
The origin of Antônio Francisco Lisboa's nickname Aleijadinho
At a young age Aleijadinho caught a debilitating disease. He lost his fingers and toes as well as the use of his lower legs, which led to his sobriquet Aleijadinho which means Little Cripple. He didn't give up his work and, according to the popular story, had hammers and chisels strapped to his body and continued his work as an architect, sculptor and woodcarver. The latter is considered a myth by some, "to add a touch of grandeur and drama to his work" [Brazil Unibanco Guides; Minas Gerais Guide 2006. ISBN 85-86518-865-4].
Aleijadinho died in 1814 and was buried in the Matriz NS da Conceição de Antônio Dias Church in Ouro Preto, near his place of birth.
Aleijadinho's works of architecture and sculpture
Aleijadinho's work was initially inspired by European baroque and rococo art and the sculptor chose to express this in his work using local materials, among which soapstone and wood. He was the architect of numerous churches in Minas Gerais and constructed parts of some churches himself, such as altars or sculptures in side aisles.
Much of his work in Minas Gerais' churches is accompanied by colourful paintings from Manuel da Costa Ataíde, who started out as his disciple and became one of Brazil's famous painters.
Aleijadinho gained much fame for his soapstone sculptures "The Prophets", which stand in front of the Basílica Bom Jesus de Matosinhos in Congonhas (see photo below), nicknamed Cidade dos Profetas [City of Prophets]. Below the prophets are six chapels with Aleijadinho's finest wooden sculptures depicting the Stations of the Cross. Aleijadinho's architectural work can be found in Ouro Preto, Mariana and São João del Rei.
Karin-Marijke Vis - Karin-Marijke Vis is a bilingual writer (Dutch-English) who has been traveling in Asia and South America since 2003.
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