Rocha, Luzia / Sousa, Luís ( Lisbon ) – “Travelings and mutations of a work of art: uses and appropriations of Malhoa's painting O Fado”

Luzia Rocha and Luís Sousa are both researchers at CESEM (Centro de Estudos de Sociologia e Estética Musical) and specialized in the domain field of musical iconography. They presented several papers in national and international conferences and articles in international papers with referees. At the moment they are Ph.D students at Universidade Nova de Lisboa and prepare their dissertations on musical iconography - Luís Sousa in medieval sources and Luzia Rocha in18 th century Portuguese ceramics.

Abstract

When José Malhoa (1855-1933) painted ‘O Fado' he was just creating another work of art with his favorite theme – Portuguese costumes. He was far from believing that this painting would become a national symbol immediately appropriated by the new political regime, the Republicanism. During 20th and 21st century Malhoa's painting is re-worked in several ways, exposed to several mutations. This process is the object of our paper.