Do juramento da princesa ao Senado Imperial: a análise de uma obra e sua inserção no projeto político do Estado

Abstract

The main subject of this dissertation is the painting titled Juramento da Princesa Isabel by the painter Victor Meirelles, dated 1875, it is in exhibition, nowadays, in the Museu Imperial of Petrópolis. The canvas was commissioned by the Senate’s president, Viscount of Abaeté, and it represents the oath taken by Princess Isabel during her first regency in 1871. In the center of the scene, in front of a desk set before an empty throne on the left, it is Princess Isabel on her knees, with Viscount of Abaeté next to her, slightly curved. According to the minutes of the Senate, were presents at the Assembly, 35 senators and 62 deputies, besides the gests to attend the ceremony. The goal of this research is to analyze the canvas in its intrinsic and extrinsic elements. For that reason, we seek to understand the representations choices made by Meirelles, the political project of which the painting is part of, the political conjuncture at the moment of creation and commission of the canvas. We also search the motivations of the Viscount to place the commission, by studding the relation between commissioner, painting, and portrayed. We also worked with the insertion of the painting into art history, on Meirelles production, and compared with other representations about monarchical ceremonies.