Defying the Dictatorpship: The Mural Paintings of Almada Negreiros at the Maritime Station Rocha do Conde de Óbidos. New art historical readings

This chapter seeks to add new insights on the mural paintings by the Portuguese visual artist José de Almada Negreiros (1893-1970) at Rocha do Conde de Óbidos based on their historical context, together with a thorough review of sources and an unprecedented close-up observation made possible by the recent scaffolding erected for its restoration work. This text analyses the available sources and documents on the mural paintings for Rocha do Conde de Óbidos, both those previously referred to by art
historians (including my own previous work on the subject) and others that
have been neglected. The essay also discusses for the first time an unpublished manuscript from the artist’s estate which sheds light on the context of state commissions during the dictatorship as well as the artist’s relation with his peers. Based on this research, this study revisits and reinterprets the main art historical accounts of the mural paintings at Rocha do Conde de Óbidos and also discusses the controversy that surrounded both the commission and its unveiling, which put the murals at risk of being destroyed. It finally analyses the paintings in light of new observations on the
technique and preparatory drafts associating them with the themes and characters depicted, which include the representation of black people in a previously unseen in public commissions dignified manner, and also in relation to the historical contexts of emigration and the aftermath of the Second World War.