AMADEO DE SOUZA CARDOSO (1887–1918)
Amadeo de Souza Cardoso is now considered a pioneer of Modernism in art, whereas soon after his death he was almost completely forgotten, despite his gushing vegetation, luxuriant depiction of nature and his paintings’ vibrancy that leave a lasting impact. He was an original and unclassifiable artist, always experimenting and trying out new trends and movements that he reinvented in his own style. His dynamic treatment of space and movement and his strong colours are the result of exposure to multiple art movements and to different cultures.
Amadeo De Souza Cardoso (1887-1918) was born in Manhufe in the Porto district in Portugal, to a wealthy, rural family. At
December 2016 an early age he showed talent for drawing, but his father convinced him to study architecture. In 1906, Amadeo went to Paris on a trip that changed his life. He soon gave up his studies in architecture to take up art. Early on, he worked as a draughtsman and caricaturist. He also became friends with artists living in Paris like Modigliani, Brancusi, Mark Jacob, Sonia and Robert Delaunay, among others.
By 1913, the Portuguese artist became known in the international art scene, and his work was shown at the famous New York Armory exhibition, where he sold seven of the eight paintings he displayed. He also participated in exhibits in Berlin and London.
"Zine" around 1917
Cardoso plunged into the movements that were flourishing in the Paris of preworld War I. The war eventually ravaged Europe and chased its dynamic artists to New York. He embraced some of the new movements and his work, at different stages, showed different influences. At the beginning, it had distinctive Impressionist