MASP

Initially considered to be a painting by Jean-Baptiste Debret (1768-1848), Indians Crossing a Stream was later attributed to Agostino Brunias, following a specialized reassessment in 2015. The scene depicted moves from Brazil at the beginning of the 19th century, where Debret worked, to the Caribbean of the 18th century, where Brunias lived. The Italian-English painter resided in the Caribbean islands where he painted scenes representing the mixed population going about their daily activities in public spaces, such as at street parties and markets. The composition of MASP’s picture follows a narrative and temporal framework that is typical of historical painting. The lifestyle of the indigenous peoples, represented by nudity and dwellings that look like huts, is isolated from the remainder of the composition, marked by a tree on the left-hand side that crosses its whole length. To the right of the tree, a man seems to be supervising the work of a group of indigenous people, who are carrying baskets across the stream. Across the river, two women rest and breastfeed, whilst another man, wearing a hat similar to the main character, sits next to an indigenous child. The action seems to suggest the progressive assimilation of the new imposed culture and its resulting miscegenation. However, this concept of colonization omits and alleviates the violence of acculturation and enslavement of the autochthones. The Yale Center for British Art holds a painting that seems to be a detailed version of a very similar scene. Even though the garments of the indigenous people and the men controlling them are slightly different, the characters and the landscape are very much alike. This has allowed us to consider a similar date for this currently undated work.

— MASP Curatorial Team, 2017

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