Agostinho José Da Mota

Agostinho José Da Mota;Agostinho Da Motta;Agostinho Jose Da Mota

Place: Rio De Janeiro

Born: 1824

Death: 1878

Biography:

Early Life and Education

Agostinho José da Mota

, a renowned Brazilian painter and teacher, was born on June 18, 1824, in Rio de Janeiro. His inclination for art emerged early in childhood, leading him to enroll in the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in 1837.

Artistic Career

Da Mota's artistic career was marked by his brilliant student record and the prize of travel to Europe in 1850. He studied under the guidance of French landscape painter Jean-Achille Benouville in Rome from 1851 to 1855. Upon returning to Brazil in 1859, he began teaching at the Academy, occupying the chair of drawing and later landscape.

Notable Works and Contributions

Da Mota's contributions to the general exhibition of fine arts earned him several accolades, including the gold medal in 1852, the Order of the Rose in 1868, and the Order of Christ in 1871. His pupils, such as Modesto Brocos, Henrique Bernardelli, Pedro Peres, Firmino Monteiro, and José Maria de Medeiros, went on to become well-known artists.

Legacy and Later Life

Da Mota was a pioneer of outdoor painting in Brazil, preceding Georg Grimm, who received credit for this. The Empress Teresa Cristina commissioned several still lifes from him, a genre in which he excelled. However, da Mota faced financial difficulties later in life, resorting to painting advertising hoardings to survive. He died in 1878 in Rio de Janeiro.