Aldo Bonadei

Bonadei began his artistic apprenticeship with Pedro Alexandrino and Antônio Rocco, in 1923, and perfected his technique at the Academy of Florence, Italy, in 1930. Back in Brazil, he joined the Santa Helena Group, founded by Rebolo Gonzales, in 1935. It consisted of working-class individuals who left their studios on weekends to paint the outskirts of São Paulo. Aldo Bonadei was also part of the so-called São Paulo Artistic Family from 1936 to 1939.

Considered a pioneer of Brazilian abstract art, as early as the forties his work displayed somewhat subjective character, which the artist attributed to the influence that musical perception brought to his paintings.

He focused on subjects such as landscapes, still life and flowers. In his painting "Natureza Morta" [Still Life], of 1954, one can detect the diffuse presence of figurative elements and an absence of perspective. In the atmosphere created, every detail is important for composition, a pretext for geometric design.

"A Leitura" [The Reading], a canvas of 1950, transmits a solidity of lines and planes, but the color does not overwhelm the composition, since the graphic conception shaping the forms is already a hallmark of Bonadei's style.

The contrast of lyricism and contention in both brushstrokes and color, according to Mário Schemberg, can be found in all periods of Bonadei's oeuvre. In "Flores" [Flowers] this concern is perceptible: despite the structural lines and the sobriety of hues in the background, the artist paints with warm colors, highlighting the technique, making it stand out in the composition.

Aldo Bonadei participated in several exhibitions, receiving, among others, the Travel Abroad prize in 1962, at the São Paulo Modern Art Salon.