Abstract
In this article we shall analyze two portraits by Antônio Joaquim Ribas (1818-1890): an oil painting and a print. In examining these images, this paper sheds light on Ribas’ ideas as well as on the biography of Nicolau Huascar de Vergara (?- 1886) - a little-known artist of the nineteenth century. We then compare the two portraits to examine the forms of representation and self-representation of São Paulo’s elites at a time when the city was undergoing major changes. This is a case study based on the second oil portrait that came to form the Gallery of the former Great Hall of the São Paulo Law School and a lithograph portrait, made at the same time, both funded by students.
Keywords:
portrait; São Francisco School of Law Gallery; Nicolau Huascar de Vergara; Conselheiro Ribas; São Paulo in the 19th century