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Artworks
Maria Helena Vieira da Silva
Mémoire, 1966–67Oil on canvas114 by 146.9 cm (44⅞ by 57⅞ in.)63490Further images
Painted in 1966-67. Mémoire is emblematic of Vieira da Silva’s lifelong commitment to memory as a format for artistic exploration. Having lived through the Second World War in exile,...Painted in 1966-67.
Mémoire is emblematic of Vieira da Silva’s lifelong commitment to memory as a format for artistic exploration. Having lived through the Second World War in exile, Vieira da Silva was forced to paint from recollections of her native Lisbon and her adopted home of Paris before their destruction. Mémoire conjures images of an expansive cityscape with its framework of ochre, charcoal, and blue grey architectonic lines. These layers of colored compartments and traversing lines create a leitmotif throughout her paintings of the 1960s. Vieira da Silva used linear perspective as a mnemonic tool, converting the physical spaces of her world into memoryscapes. In a letter she wrote in 1939 to the artist Julian Trevelyan, she noted that she used the eyes of her memory to create her disorienting structures, rather than her “real” eyes. In the present work, Vieira da Silva builds upon Vibrationism–an approach to painting developed by one of the artist’s greatest influences, the Uraguayan Constructivist Joaquín Torres-García. Vibrationism combines Cubist and Futurist elements in its focus on scenes from urbanity; in Mémoire, as in Torres-García’s Constructive City with Universal Man, a grid-like structure organizes the geometric and figural forms of city life. With Mémoire Vieira da Silva pushes the symbolism of Torres-García to its utmost abstract expression.
Music Credit: Metamorphosis: Metamorphosis Two (Metamorphosis Two) by Bruce Brubaker
Exhibitions
Paris, Galerie Jeanne-Bucher, Vieira da Silva, 1967–68, illustrated
Saint-Paul, Fondation Maeght, Art vivant 1965–1968, 1968, no. 234, illustrated
Paris, Musée National d’Art Moderne, Vieira da Silva peintures 1935–1969, 1969, no. 77, illustrated p. 65 (mentioned p. 17)
Rotterdam, Museum Boymans-van Beuningen, Vieira da Silva, Schilderijen 1935-1969, 1969-70, no. 67, illustrated
Tours, Comédie de la Loire, Vieira da Silva, 1969
Oslo, Kunstnernes Hus, Vieira da Silva, Malerier 1935-1969, 1970, no. 67
Basel, Kunsthalle Basel, Vieira da Silva, 1970, no. 67
Lisbon, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Vieira da Silva, 1970, no. 185, illustrated p. 147
Cologne, Baukunst Galerie, 1970
Montpellier, Musée Fabre, Vieira da Silva, 1971, no. 51
Colmar, Musée d’Unterlinden, Vieira da Silva, 1972, no. 29
Milan, Centro Rizzoli, Vieira da Silva, 1973, no. 19, illustrated
Ginals, Abbaye de Beaulieu, Centre d'Art Contemporain, Matière et Mémoire, 1974, no. 47, illustrated
Orléans, Musées Hôtel Caub, Vieira da Silva, 1973, no. 38, illustrated p. 63
Royan, Palais des Congrès, 12th International Festival of Contemporary Art of Royan, Vieira da Silva et Árpád Szenes, 1975
Sochaux, Maison des Arts et Loisirs, Vieira da Silva, 1976, no. 34
Paris, Galerie Jeanne Bucher, Exposé pour un portrait successif - Huiles, gouaches, dessins de Vieira da Silva, 1976, illustrated
Luxembourg, Musée d'Etat and Metz, Musées de Metz, Vieira da Silva, œuvres de 1931 à 1975, 1976-77, no. 31, illustrated
Marseille, Musée Cantini, Certitude de l’incertin, 1977, no. 63, illustrated
Aalborg, Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum, Vieira da Silva, 1931-1976, 1978, no. 54, illustrated p. 1
São Paulo, XVth Biennale of São Paulo, 1979
Paris, FIAC, Galerie Jeanne-Bucher, Jean Amado, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, 1981
Tunis, Galerie de l’Information, Vieira da Silva, 1982
Montauban, Musée Ingres, Rencontres d'Art 83. Hommage à Vieira da Silva, 1983
Villeneuve-lez-Avignon, La Chartreuse - C.I.R.C.A., 12 Artistes et le Temps, 1983, no. 4, illustrated
Rome, Centre Culturel Français, Vieira da Silva, 1984, illustrated
Antibes, Musée du Bastion Saint-André, IIème rencontre triangulaire artistique internationale, 1984
Caen, Hôtel d’Escouville, 1984
Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Sur Invitation, 1984
Lisbon, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian and Paris, Galeries nationales du Grands Palais, Vieira da Silva, 1988, illustrated p. 105
Carcassonne, Maison Noubel, Vieira da Silva, 1990, illustrated
Madrid, Fundación Juan March, Vieira da Silva, 1991, no. 45, illustrated p. 61
Carcassonne, Galerie de la Cité, L’arrière-pays, 1992
Paris, Fondation Dina Vierny – Musée Maillol, Vieira da Silva, 1999, illustrated p. 121
Reggio Emilia, Palazzo Magnani, Vieira da Silva, Il labirinto del tempo, 2003
Lisbon, Fundação Árpád Szenes – Vieira da Silva, 10th Anniversary of the Foundation, 2004
Saint-Louis, Fondation Fernet-Branca, Faces à Faces; La peinture en question, 2007
Paris, FIAC, Galerie Jeanne Bucher, Vieira da Silva 1908-1992 - Célébration du centenaire de sa naissance, 2008
Paris, Galerie Jeanne-Bucher, 2010
Paris, Galerie Jaeger Bucher, Dialogue IV, 2011
Paris, FIAC, Galerie Jeanne-Bucher / Jaeger Bucher, 2012
Paris, Galerie Jeanne-Bucher/Jaeger Bucher, Matière et Mémoire, La demeure du Patriarche, 2013
Villeneuve-sur-Lot, Musée de Gajac, Carte blanche à Jean-François Jaeger, 2014
Lisbon, Fundação Árpád Szenes – Vieira da Silva, A linha do espaço, 20th Anniversary of the Foundation, 2015, illustrated p. 100
Chambord, Château de Chambord, Georges Pompidou et l’art une aventure du regard, 2017, illustrated p. 85
Paris, Jeanne Bucher Jaeger; London, Waddington Custot and New York, Di Donna Galleries, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, 2019-20, illustrated p. 17 (illustrated in a photograph) and pp. 76-77Literature
G. Bonnefoi, 'Vieira da Silva explore patiemment espace et temps' in Connaissance des Arts, December 1967, illustrated
J. Guichard-Meili, 'Vieira da Silva' in Art et Création, January-February 1968, no. 1, illustrated p. 87
G. Bonnefoi, 'L'espace et ses mirages' in Connaissance des Arts, October 1969, no. 212 (mentioned p. 120)
J. Guichard-Meili, 'Vieira da Silva. Le un et l'infini' in Nouvelle Revue Française, December 1, 1969 (mentioned p. 911)
P. Boyer, 'Pour un espace différent' in Esprit, January 1970 (mentioned p. 217)
M. de Oliveira, 'Vieira da SIlva e o seu sentimento cromaticó' in Diário de Notícias, July 30, 1970, illustrated
G. Picon, Admirable tremblement du temps, Genève, illustrated p. 232
D. Vallier, La peinture de Vieira da Silva : chemins d’approche, Paris, 1971, illustrated p. 232
J. Picton, 'Vieira da Silva un mystère, au fond, très quotidien' in République du Centre, June 6, 1973
A. Philippe, 'L'artiste n'est pas un produit de consommation. Un entretien avec Vieira da Silva et Arpad Szenes' in Les Nouvelles Littéraires, October 6, 1977 (mentioned p. 79)
C. Esteban, 'Zarpa de lo imaginario' in Guadalimar, April 1977, no. 22, illustrated pp. 47-48M. Lassaigne and M. Weelen, Vieira da Silva, Barcelona and Paris, 1978, no. 312, illustrated
A. Bonet Correa, Vieira da Silva, Barcelona, 1980, no. 60, illustrated
D. Vallier, Chemins d'Approche. Vieira da Silva, Paris, 1982, no. 21, illustrated
M. D., 'L'art est un langage..., entretien avec Dora Vallier' in Des Femmes Hebdo, May 14-21, no. 92, illustrated p. 39
M. Butor, Vieira da Silva - Peintures, Paris, 1983, illustrated p. 64
Exhibition Catalogue: Paris, Galerie Jeanne-Bucher, Vieira da Silva. Densité de la transparence, 1986 (mentioned)
M. Lassaigne and M. Weelen, Vieira da Silva, Paris, 1987, no. 312, illustrated
C. Roy, Vieira da Silva, Barcelona, 1988, no. 65, illustrated p. 26
D. N. Magazine, August 14, 1988, illustrated
Exhibition Catalogue: Lisbon, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian and Paris, Galeries nationales du Grands Palais, Vieira da Silva. Jornal da esposição, 1988, illustrated
M. Arnault, 'Vieira da Silva. Dans la solitude des territoires' in Cimaises, November-December 1988, illustrated p. 122
M.J. Fernandes, 'O universo de Vieira da Silva' in Artes & Leilões, June-September 1991, no. 10, illustrated p. 34 (mentioned p. 32)
'Vieira da Silva' in Publico Magazine, March 15, 1992, illustrated p. 38
G. Weelen and J.-F. Jaeger, Vieira da Silva Catalogue Raisonné, Geneva, 1994, no. 2195, illustrated p. 447
G. Weelen and J.-F. Jaeger, Vieira da Silva: Monographie, Geneva, 1993, illustrated p. 221
G. Rosenthal, Vieira da Silva, Cologne, 2005, illustrated p. 73
C. Calzetta-Jaeger, Vieira da Silva, Paris, 2006, no.42, illustrated
Exhibition Catalogue: Paris, Galerie Jeanne Bucher, Vieira da Silva 1908-1992 - Célébration du centenaire de sa naissance, 2008, illustrated in color p. 83
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