Considered one of the pioneers of Brazilian photojournalism, Hildegard Rosenthal (1913-1990) stood out both for her pictures of the cultural and artistic figures of her day, and for her photographs of daily life. In these landscapes, cityscapes and portraits, the Instituto Moreira Salles in São Paulo has brought together 25 prints for the exhibition São Paulo de Hildegard Rosenthal (Hildegard Rosenthal’s São Paulo). The photographs on display were all taken in 1940s São Paulo, then the capital of the country. This tribute to the photographer, who would have turned 100 this March, was overseen by the coordinator of the institute’s archives, Sergio Bruni.

Rosenthal lived in Frankfurt, Germany, until her adolescence. She studied Education from 1929 to 1933 before switching to photography under the supervision of Paul Wolf, a specialist in laboratory techniques and small prints working at the Institut Geadel. With the Nazis in power, Rosenthal fled to Brazil in 1937, becoming a photojournalist for the agency Press Information. Her photographs received little attention until 1974, when Walter Zanini organized an exhibition of the photographer’s work at the University of São Paulo’s Museum of Contemporary Art. The Instituto Moreira acquired Rosenthal’s archives in 1996, comprised of more than 3000 negatives.

Céline Chevallier

A São Paulo de Hildegard Rosenthal
Until February 23rd, 2013
DOC Galeria
Rua Aspicuelta, 662, Vila Madalena
São Paulo / SP – Brazil (CEP 05433011)
Mon - Fri, from 11am - 1pm and 2pm - 7pm. Sat from 11am - 2pm
Tel : 0055 11 3938-0130