Everything changed with the discovery of gold in

the early eighteenth century, in the mountains of

what would become the Minas Gerais. A mulatto,

tortured by thirst, scraping the bed of a river, near

the future city of Ouro Preto (meaning "black

gold", the most valuable), discovered some black

beans with shining reflections and brought to light

the jackpot. From pebbles to nuggets, the gold

cycle was initiated and at the same time, the cycle of

miscegenation that produced extraordinary

"mulatto baroque " talents in Brazil.

.

Two leading figures stand out in this

extraordinary flowering of talent. A

painter, Manuel da Costa Ataide, and

especially an architect and sculptor, the

genius of Brazilian baroque, Antônio

Francisco Lisboa, Aleijadinho.

1730- c.1807

Lisboa is a strong symbol

of Brazil that sums up the

spirit of the country. Son

of a Portuguese architect

and a black slave, he

" e m b o d i e s t h e

constitutive synthesis of

Braz i l i an ba roque . "

A myth surrounds the

character. With his fingers

mutilated by an incurable

disease, he used to tie his

tools to his stumps and

worked at night to avoid

being seen.

Aleijadinho follows the rococostyle from Europe but strives toevolve it into a purely Brazilianstyle. His His greatest creationdates of his last years of life. InCongonhas do Campo, a smallvillage that became a place ofpilgrimage for Brazilians, heimagines a grandiose project. Hesurrounds the sanctuary of BomJesus de Matozinhos with a"theater of saints," a set of 12stone carvings representing theProphets.

.

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To reach the church perched on top of the

hill, Aleijadinho designed the Stations of the

Cross and created 76 life-size sculptures that

show Jesus and his suffering. The project was

completed in 1806 when he was over 70 and

was in a much advanced stage of his disease.

.

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Audio: Vivaldi –

Concert for Oboe

Photos and texts: Internet