Abstract

Jewish-Lithuanian artist Lasar Segall's 1924 painting Encontro has historically been interpreted as representing Segall's integration and assimilation into Brazilian society. This reading, however, generally overlooks Segall's experience as an Eastern European Jew living in Brazil during the early twentieth century. In this thesis, I examine the influence of Segall's ethnic background on his art and investigate how Segall appropriates pardo identity in Encontro, not unproblematically, in an effort to convey feelings of alienation and exclusion. Along with looking at his visual art, my analysis incorporates my translations of Segall's essays on Jewishness, which shed light on his relationship to Judaism and the concept of Jewish art. I also consider cultural theorist Silviano Santiago's notion of "the space in-between" in relation to Segall's art, noting how Segall seems to occupy a place between the need for assimilation and the complete negation of tradition. This tension manifests itself in Encontro through Segall's use of the New Objectivity and Brazilian Modernist styles. Finally, this thesis details how Segall connects to a broader tradition of Jewish artists grappling with themes of displacement and diaspora but also builds upon it by adapting it to the specific racial and cultural politics of Brazil. In doing so, Segall conveys the complex experience of cultural displacement among Eastern European Jews living in Brazil.

Degree

College and Department

Humanities; Comparative Arts and Letters

Rights

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