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All Brazil Ouro Preto Museu do Aleijadinho

Museu do Aleijadinho

A display of works by one of the world masters sacred art, an 18th-century Brazilian sculptor nicknamed "the little cripple."

Ouro Preto, Brazil

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Sofia Perpetua
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Christ carrying the cross - Aleijadinho   Ricardo André Frantz/CC BY 3.0
Christ carrying the cross - Aleijadinho   Ricardo André Frantz/CC BY 3.0
Painting on the ceiling of the main chapel of the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos.   Bernardo Pires da Silva/Public Domain
Igreja de São Francisco de Assis   Ricardo André Frantz / CC BY 3.0
View of Ouro Preto   Bruno Girin/CC BY-SA 2.0
The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos.   Ricardo André Frantz/CC BY 3.0
The Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos.   Ricardo André Frantz/CC BY 3.0
Crucifixion of Jesus by Aleijadinho   Ricardo André Frantz/CC BY-SA 4.0
  http://www.wikiwand.com/pt/Aleijadinho
Prophet Isaiah - Aleijadinho   Ricardo André Frantz/CC BY 3.0
Jesus is mocked - Aleijadinho   Ricardo André Frantz/CC BY-SA 4.0
Main chapel of Church of St Francisco, Brazil   Alexandre Machado/CC BY 2.0
Painting of artist Antônio Francisco Lisboa (Aleijadinho), by Euclásio Ventura.   Public Domain
Anjo, Santuário de Matosinhos, Brazil - Aleijadinho   Public Domain
Christ, Matosinhos Shrine - Aleijadinho   Public Domain
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About

Sacred art will gain a whole new meaning when you have the chance to experience the work of Aleijadinho, a master baroque sculptor and icon of Brazilian art. Despite losing the use of his fingers, Aleijadinho’s paintings, statues, carvings, and sculptures are works of mastery and wonder, a testimony to the power of will and devotion. 

The 18th-century artist was born Antonio Francisco Lisboa, but is better known by his nickname, "Aleijadinho," Portuguese for "little cripple." It's believed Aleijadinho suffered from a degenerated disease that caused the deformation of his limbs and even the loss his fingers. Yet he continued sculpting with a chisel and hammer tied to his fingerless hands, working often with great suffering and pain.

According to a biography of the artist (which has been criticized for being dramatized), Aleijadinho continued to work intensely even as the disease progressed. He worked on the design and construction of churches, on the life-size statues outside, and on the outstanding painted ceilings and the paintings within. Aleijadinho became a master in his own right by giving life to wood and stone with creative representations from the Bible, as he mixed many styles of baroque and explored rococo and even classic and gothic elements in his work.

Museu Aleijadinho, housed in the Church of Our Lady of the Conception (Nossa Senhora da Conceição) in Ouro Preto, an old colonial town in Brazil, contains many examples of his sacred art. His work can also be seen at three historical churches in the center of Ouro Preto, such as the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos, which was recognized by UNESCO in 1985 as one of the world’s prime examples of baroque art.

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Art Religion Architecture Paintings Sculptures Churches Sacred Spaces

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Entrance to the museum is about 3 USD.

Community Contributors

Added By

Sofia Perpetua

Edited By

dougmoreira, Meg

  • dougmoreira
  • Meg

Published

December 20, 2017

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  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleijadinho
  • http://paroquiaconceicaoop.com.br/museu/
Museu do Aleijadinho
R. Ouro Preto, 179 - Praça de Antônio Dias
Ouro Preto
Brazil
-20.362501, -43.71003
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