Jose Ferraz de Almeida Junior was a major Brazilian painter whose works became a source of inspiration for subsequent modernists. As a painter, he defied the popular traditions of his contemporaries and carved a new niche for himself. At a time when his fellow painters were achieving fame by painting mythological and historical subjects, he decided to focus on reality and portray the beauty of rural life.

The subjects he chose to paint were an unchartered territory, but his skill ensured that the gamble paid off. The audiences were simply bowled over by his paintings of farmers and workers and other rural folk amidst their daily lives. His works came to be admired for its meticulous detail and touching images. Inspired by the French...