Abstract
The paper addresses Jean-Baptiste Debret's Viagem pitoresca e histórica ao Brasil, which was rejected by a Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute's commission in 1840 on the basis of its critical depiction of slavery. The French painter, with a bad reputation during the Restoration, came to Brazil at the request of the Portuguese Court. The paradoxical condition of Debret, who has intensely experienced the revolutionary changes in France and later has been engaged by the Portuguese Monarchy, will impact his production and the reception of that work. Debret has created in Brazil a dual work, with two stylistic, thematic, and ideological faces.
Keywords
Jean-Baptiste Debret; Viagem pitoresca e histórica ao Brasil; Slavery; Reception; Brazilian Historic and Geographic Institute
