epub A Perspective to the Heavens (English Edition)

Between the second half of the 18th century and the first half of the 19th century, sacred art in Bahia experienced a kind of "renaissance" with the emergence of talented goldsmiths, sculptors, and painters who helped decorate Salvador's churches with significant works as part of the Catholic strategy to inspire emotion and teach the faithful about biblical passages, representing divine entities, their legends, and symbols. José Joaquim da Rocha was one of the leading figures of his time. He painted the most fantastic ceiling panels in Salvador's temples using the illusionistic perspective technique, which created a final level in the church building with an opening to the heavenly court where the saints "watched over" the living. This book, illustrated with 59 images of artworks, analyzes the three main ceilings painted by Rocha, addresses the artistic environment of Bahia during this period, and recounts how sacred art emerged and developed in Europe before reaching Brazil. The work is a continuation of the book Basílicas e Capelinhas – Um estudo sobre a história, arquitetura e arte das igrejas de Salvador, by the same authors.

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Book analyzes the work of the founder of the "Bahian School of Painting" and the history of Sacred Art

In the second half of the 18th century, the painter José Joaquim da Rocha became a specialist in decorating the ceiling panels of Salvador's churches using illusionistic perspective, a technique that created with paint the illusion of a final level in the construction, with an "opening" to the sky, populating the wooden boards with images of the Holy Trinity, Our Lady, and the saints of the Catholic pantheon. A study of Rocha's work, the principal Baroque painter active in 18th-century Bahia, allowed physician-researcher Helenita Hollanda and journalist Biaggio Talento to trace a brief profile of the painter's Renaissance influences and the artistic environment during the most fruitful periods of Sacred Art.

The material was compiled in the duo's new book on historical heritage, published as an ebook by Amazon with the title "A Perspective to the Heavens: A Study of the History of Sacred Art in the Work of José Joaquim da Rocha," illustrated with 59 images. The work is a continuation of the book "Basílicas e Capelinhas" about Salvador's churches, by the same authors, released in 2006 and now in its fourth edition.

link:
https://www.bahianoticias.com.br/holofote/coluna/821-livro-analisa-obra-do-fundador-da-escola-bahiana-de-pintura-e-a-historia-da-arte-sacra

Interview with the authors on Rádio Metrópole de Salvador:
https://www.metro1.com.br/audios/22399,biaggio-talento-e-helenita-hollanda