Tarsila described the central being as "a monstruous and solitary figure, sitting on a green plain, the hand supporting the featherweight minuscule head." Alongside the lone being, there is the simple green mound it sits on, a cactus with a vibrant yellow flower, and a pale blue sky.
There have been several different interpretations of the painting, such as the unrecognizable facial features of the figure representing the dehumanization of the human being and the small head criticizing the depreciation of intelectualism in Brazil, or the oversized feet and small head representing the disparities of labor in society, with the majority having to rely on manual work, thus the large feet and arms — and a small elite having access to intellectual works, thus the undersized head. However, an alternate interpretation by Tarsila's great-niece suggests instead that the painting was actually conceived as a stylized self-portrait Tarsila made to her husband, seeing herself in an inclined mirror from her studio.
The name Abaporu comes from Tupi, meaning "men-eating man". It was chosen by Tarsila after an interpretation made by Oswald and a friend of his that sparked the Anthropophagic movement — a manifest in Brazil that intended to symbolically digest foreign, European art styles and absorb them, and then turn them into something truly culturally Brazilian as a way to face off against imperialism and the European influence in the country's art History. Thanks to its vibrant colors, stylized proportions, and importance for national art History, the work is frequently homaged, paraphrased, and parodied in lots of works from Brazilian Media, being one of the most easily recognizable Brazilian paintings in the world alongside "O Grito do Ipiranga" by Pedro Américo, and a symbol of South American painting History.
The painting is currently in exposition in the Latin American Art Museum of Buenos Aires, in Argentina.
To read the page in Brazilian Portuguese, please click here.
This painting provides examples of:
- Ambiguous Gender: The painting's subject is intentionally lacking many facial features and has a very androgynous body, making its sex very hard to determine.
- Artistic Licence – Anatomy: The lower half of the body is much larger than the upper half, and one arm is smaller than what appears to be another arm.
- Author Avatar: Tarsilinha, Tarsila's great-grandniece, suggested that the Abaporu is actually a self-portrait done from an aberrant angle's perspective. There was a mirror in Tarsila and her husband's house that, when seen from Tarsila's studio or room, depicts the viewer with oversized feet and an undersized head. According to Tarsilinha, this served as the painting's inspiration. Additional evidence is that Tarsila's second foot toe was longer than her big toe, just like the Abaporu. This is filed in the family reports Tarsilinha collected.
- Foreign Language Title: The Abaporu being a painting, there's no script nor written narrative anywhere. However, Tarsila's mother tongue is Brazilian Portuguese, so that's the language in which the painting's official description is written. Meanwhile, Abaporu is in Tupi, a Brazilian indigenous language, and means "man who eats people".
- Gonk: The Abaporu deliberately has a distorted anatomy, with a giant foot and hand culminating in an undersized head. The shedding of formal academicism and attention for capturing meticulous details was one of the main characteristics of Modernism, which is why the painting is so emblematic.
- Never Trust a Title: Despite its name meaning "man who eats people", there isn't anything in the painting itself indicating the Abaporu is a man-eater. Instead, the title comes from the reading Tarsila's husband had of the then-unnamed painting — the Anthropophagy movement which postulates that Brazilian artists should "swallow" the dominant European styles and turn them into art that is culturally and aesthetically Brazilian instead of just imitating them. This means shedding off the excessive formal academicism, the attention to realistic proportions, and the idealization of the past.
- One-Word Title: The painting is only named Abaporu, from Tupi Abapor'u: abá (man) + poru (man-eater).
- Protagonist Title
- Surrealism: Tarsila's paintings draw inspiration from many of the European Vanguards. The Abaporu, in particular, was greatly influenced by Cubism and Spanish surrealism. This can be noted in its non-standard proportions and aesthetics.
- Thinker Pose: Some scholars compare the Abaporu's contemplative pose with Auguste Rodin's The Thinker due to their similar corporal position.
- Tiny-Headed Behemoth: The Abaporu is notorious for being a tall giant with a relatively pretty small head.
- Vague Age: The Abaporu's wacky proportions and poorly-detailed face make it hard to pin down how old it is. It can only be said that it's obviously not a baby nor old enough for its hair to gray.
