Six centuries of artistic creation
1855-1933 Portugal
1881 is the year Malhoa definitely chooses to devote himself entirely to painting. "Ao cair da tarde" (At Dusk) is one of his first landscapes. Open to naturalistic values, Malhoa is interested in the representation of nature in its atmospheric variants and in the way light and shadow transform visible reality. The shapes are defined by the dilution of the contours, in short, thick brush strokes, within a play of chiaroscuro contrasts that capture the quiet and tranquil atmosphere of the evening. Nature and the fleeting light according to the moments of the day are a vast field of research in which he develops a very personal pictorial language, finding a privileged space for his talent as a colourist.
| Oil on canvas, 57 x 77 cm
| CALDAS DA RAINHA. José Malhoa Museum