Anita Malfatti

Key facts

Lived

1889–1964, Brazilian^[1]

Movement

• avant-garde

^[1]

Works held in

1 museum

Wikipedia

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• What is Anita Malfatti known for?+

  Anita Malfatti is known for introducing European and American forms of modernism to Brazil. She participated in the Semana de Arte Moderna in 1922^[1], considered the founding moment of Brazilian^[1] modernism, and her 1917 exhibition is retrospectively understood as its catalyst.
• What should I know about Anita Malfatti's prints?+

  When considering Anita Malfatti's prints, it is important to understand some basic printmaking terminology. An "original print" is an image conceived as a print and executed solely as a print, often in a numbered edition and signed by the artist. Each print in the edition is an original, created from a plate, stone, screen, or block made for that purpose. Each print is individually inked and pulled; it is a "multi-original" medium. A reproduction, however, is a copy of an artwork initially created in another medium, such as painting. Numbering and signing a reproduction does not change its nature; it remains a copy, not an original print. Various printmaking techniques exist, including etching, aquatint, drypoint, lithography, and serigraphy (silkscreen). In etching, a metal plate is covered with a wax ground, and the artist scratches a design into the wax. The plate is then immersed in acid, which bites into the exposed metal. Aquatint is used to create tonal areas through the application of resin. Drypoint involves scratching directly into the metal plate with a needle, leaving a soft, blurred line. Lithography uses a greasy substance on limestone or metal, while serigraphy uses stencils on a screen.
• What style or movement did Anita Malfatti belong to?+

  Anita Malfatti worked within the early 20th-century avant-garde^[1]. This movement encompassed artists who searched for new definitions of art in a changed world; they rejected classical, academic, and traditional approaches. Instead, they explored the premises and formal qualities of painting and sculpture. Avant-garde principles first emerged in Expressionism, a movement where art is the result of the artist’s personal vision and often has an emotional dimension. One of the first Expressionist movements of the 20th century was Fauvism. In 1905^[1], a group of young painters exhibited canvases so simplified in design and shockingly bright in colour that a critic described the artists as *fauves* (wild beasts). Fauvism used intense colour juxtapositions and their emotional capabilities, a legacy of artists such as van Gogh and Gauguin. Fauve artists went further in liberating colour from its descriptive function, using it for expressive and structural ends. Henri Matisse, a dominant figure of the Fauve group, believed colour could play a primary role in conveying meaning.
• What techniques or materials did Anita Malfatti use?+

  Anita Malfatti's artistic techniques encompassed a range of materials and methods. The term "technique" in art refers to the relationship between raw materials, manual processes, and the artist's intentions. Oil painting, with its origins in egg tempera, involves layering paint on surfaces like wood panels or canvas. Early oil paintings used smooth supports, white grounds, and underpaintings to establish value before applying transparent colour layers. This demanded precise planning and drawing, with limited flexibility for alterations. The shift to canvas supports allowed for more flexible techniques. Artists began using stiffer brushes for scumbling, moving paint in a wet-on-wet style, and diffusing edges to create atmospheric effects. Toned grounds further enhanced painterly expression. In the early 20th century, artists explored diverse approaches. Some moved away from easel painting, while others maintained traditional methods. Understanding an artist's technique requires considering their materials, processes, and intentions, rather than simply cataloguing equipment.
• What was Anita Malfatti known for?+

  Anita Malfatti is known as an early 20th-century avant-garde^[1] artist. The avant-garde arose in a period of political and economic disruption, as artists searched for new definitions of art in a changed world. Avant-garde artists rejected academic and traditional approaches, exploring the premises and formal qualities of painting and sculpture. The early 1900s saw the emergence of Expressionism, where art reflected the artist’s personal vision, often with an emotional dimension. This contrasted with post-Renaissance art, which focused on visually describing the empirical world. Fauvism was an early Expressionist movement; in 1905^[1], a group of young painters exhibited simplified designs and shockingly bright colours. One critic described them as fauves (wild beasts). Fauvism sought the directness of Impressionism, using intense colour juxtapositions and emotional capabilities, following artists such as van Gogh and Gauguin. Fauves liberated colour from its descriptive function, using it for expressive and structural ends.
• When did Anita Malfatti live and work?+

  Anita Malfatti was born in São Paulo, Brazil, on 2 December 1889^[1]. She died there on 6 November 1964^[1]. Malfatti's early exposure to European art movements occurred during her studies abroad. From 1910^[1] to 1914, she studied in Germany, where she was influenced by Expressionism and other avant-garde^[1] styles. Later, in 1915, she went to New York, where she encountered modern art. These experiences shaped her artistic vision and approach. Malfatti is known for her role in introducing modernism to Brazil. Her 1917 exhibition in São Paulo presented works with bold colours and distorted forms, which challenged academic traditions. This exhibition, although controversial at the time, is now seen as a significant moment in Brazilian^[1] art history. She was part of the Grupo dos Cinco (Group of Five), which promoted modern art in Brazil.
• Where can I see Anita Malfatti's work?+

  It is difficult to say with certainty where specific works by Anita Malfatti are located today. However, some museums known for holding collections of modern art, Art Deco, and Post-Impressionist art may hold examples of her work. These include institutions in Europe and North America. In the United States, these museums include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art in Winter Park, Florida, and the Wolfsonian in Miami Beach, Florida. In Canada, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa may be worth investigating. European museums include the Musée National d'Art Moderne in Paris, the Ludwig Museum in Cologne, the Kunsthalle in Hamburg, the National Museums of Scotland in Edinburgh, and the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Also worth investigation are the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian (Lisbon), the Museu d’Art Modern (Barcelona), and the Museo Art Nouveau y Art Deco (Salamanca, Spain).
• Where was Anita Malfatti from?+

  Anni Albers, born Annelise Elsa Frieda Fleischmann, was from Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany. She was born on 12 June 1899^[1], into a wealthy German Jewish family. Albers initially aspired to be a painter. However, in 1922, she enrolled in the Bauhaus school, where she found herself directed to the textile studio. There, she studied with the artist Gunta Stölzl and discovered her true vocation. In 1933, with the rise of the Nazi Party, Albers and her husband, Josef, immigrated to the United States. She worked as a freelance artist and designer, college instructor, author, and art collector. Albers consistently combined weaving with synthetic materials, innovative techniques, and abstraction. After a trip to Mexico in 1936, ancient American art became a lifelong source of inspiration. In later years, she devoted herself to abstract graphics. Albers died on 9 May 1994, in Orange, Connecticut, USA.
• Who did Anita Malfatti influence?+

  Anita Malfatti's influence is complex. Modern art in the early 20th century increasingly focused on individual artists, rather than movements or manifestos. Originality was prized, but it needed to be based in tradition. Fauvism, with its exaggerated use of colour, had an effect on German Expressionism. Some Fauvist artists, like Braque, moved towards Cézanne's structural emphasis, leading to Cubism. Waldemar George saw Fauvism as preparing the way for later movements, even Cubism. However, André Salmon viewed Fauvism less as a movement and more as a product of friendships during a particular time. Anni Albers, an artist, designer, writer, and teacher, shared her knowledge generously. She connected craft to industry and unified art with design. Albers spoke of rediscovery and reinvention, rather than originality. She and her husband, Josef, were affected by the scale of the American Southwest and the art of Pre-Columbian cultures.
• Who was Anita Malfatti?+

  Although the reference texts do not mention Anita Malfatti, they do discuss Anni Albers, a German-American textile artist. Annelise "Anni" Elsa Frieda Fleischmann Albers (1899^[1]-1994^[1]) was born in Berlin-Charlottenburg. She studied at the Bauhaus in Weimar and Dessau from 1922 to 1931. There, she studied with Gunta Stölzl and discovered her passion for textile art. In 1933, with the rise of the Nazi party, Albers and her husband, Josef, moved to the United States. She worked as a freelance artist and designer, college instructor, author, and art collector. Albers combined traditional weaving with synthetic materials and modern art abstraction. A trip to Mexico in 1936 inspired her; she found inspiration in ancient American art, particularly that of the Mayas and Aztecs. Later in life, she focused on abstract graphics.
• Why are Anita Malfatti's works important today?+

  Anni Albers (1899^[1]-1994^[1]) is important because she transformed textiles into a respected art form, elevating woven threads to the same level as painting and watercolour. She reluctantly took up weaving at the Bauhaus, but she strove to achieve the same artistic heights in textiles as Paul Klee and Vasily Kandinsky did in paint. Albers was a pioneer of abstract art, creating wall hangings of visual power. She moved away from prescribed floral patterns, instead using yarns to create calming compositions that reflected her inventive mind. Her daring explorations have had far-reaching effects, and abstract wall hangings have flourished as an art form. It has become acceptable for thread to have its own voice, without needing to represent anything else. Albers taught at the Bauhaus and Black Mountain College and inspired artists worldwide. Late in life, she became a printmaker, blending screenprint with photo-offset and using etching processes. She also wrote about design; her book *On Designing* articulates her aesthetic philosophy. Albers believed that the good designer is anonymous, allowing the material to speak for itself.
• What was Anita Malfatti's art style?+

  Anita Malfatti absorbed German Expressionism in Berlin and the radical American avant-garde^[1] in New York. Her paintings from the American period, such as *The Silly One* and *The Russian Student* (both 1916^[1]), used distorted colour and fractured form, influenced by the Sonderbund exhibition she saw in Cologne in 1912.