Presentation
< Back to Exposições virtuais- Portugues Brasil
- |
- Français
- |
- English
Presentation
In October 1825, King Carlos X sent a letter to his “dear brother and cousin, the Emperor of Brazil,” Dom Pedro I, and dispatched a plenipotentiary to him. This act marked the beginning of diplomatic relations between France and Brazil. Relations that proved rich, fruitful, deep and prolific, on the cultural, artistic, economic, human, academic and scientific fronts alike.
Although many French travelers had visited Brazil starting in the 16th century, it was only in 1816, with the arrival in Rio de Janeiro of an artistic mission led by Jean-Baptiste Debret, that solid cultural ties were established between our two countries. Many followed in his footsteps, drawn and fascinated by Brazil, at once near and distant, diverse and exuberant. Of course, we cannot name them all, but a few do stand out. The great actress Sarah Bernhardt, who toured Brazil three times (1886, 1895 and 1903); the diplomat and writer Paul Claudel, on assignment in Rio during World War I, accompanied at his embassy by the great composer Darius Milhaud; Blaise Cendrars, who drew from his 1924 journey Le Brésil, des hommes sont venus (Brazil, Men Came); Claude Lévi-Strauss, who took part, alongside Roger Bastide, Fernand Braudel and Pierre Monbeig, in the creation of the University of São Paulo; and many others who contributed generously to strengthening the bonds that unite us.
This shared history, founded on mutual admiration and respect, is not without its clouds: disagreements over the issue of slavery in the mid-19th century, over the sovereignty of Amapá in the 19th century, the dispute over lobster fishing in the early 1960s, or the reception of political exiles on French soil during the bleak years of the dictatorship. Yet we have always managed to overcome such differences to focus on what truly matters: the recognition that our relations have been mutually beneficial, bringing forth innovative ideas and ambitious projects.
All that is what this exhibition seeks to portray, thanks to the extraordinary work of its two curators, to whom I would like to pay my warm respects.
Although many French travelers had visited Brazil starting in the 16th century, it was only in 1816, with the arrival in Rio de Janeiro of an artistic mission led by Jean-Baptiste Debret, that solid cultural ties were established between our two countries. Many followed in his footsteps, drawn and fascinated by Brazil, at once near and distant, diverse and exuberant. Of course, we cannot name them all, but a few do stand out. The great actress Sarah Bernhardt, who toured Brazil three times (1886, 1895 and 1903); the diplomat and writer Paul Claudel, on assignment in Rio during World War I, accompanied at his embassy by the great composer Darius Milhaud; Blaise Cendrars, who drew from his 1924 journey Le Brésil, des hommes sont venus (Brazil, Men Came); Claude Lévi-Strauss, who took part, alongside Roger Bastide, Fernand Braudel and Pierre Monbeig, in the creation of the University of São Paulo; and many others who contributed generously to strengthening the bonds that unite us.
This shared history, founded on mutual admiration and respect, is not without its clouds: disagreements over the issue of slavery in the mid-19th century, over the sovereignty of Amapá in the 19th century, the dispute over lobster fishing in the early 1960s, or the reception of political exiles on French soil during the bleak years of the dictatorship. Yet we have always managed to overcome such differences to focus on what truly matters: the recognition that our relations have been mutually beneficial, bringing forth innovative ideas and ambitious projects.
All that is what this exhibition seeks to portray, thanks to the extraordinary work of its two curators, to whom I would like to pay my warm respects.
Emmanuel Lenain
FRENCH AMBASSADOR TO BRAZIL