Manoel Santiago, theosophist: signs of the doctrine in the work of the Amazonian painter

Abstract

This article examines what is considered the initial phase of Manoel Santiago’s (1897 – 1987) work through the relations between the painter’s interests in Theosophy and his visual work. By focusing on the delimitation established by Quirino Campofiorito (1902-1993), in 1958, we investigate the impact of the doctrine on the artworks submitted by the artist from Manaus to the Salon during the 1920s. Additionally, we analyze the aspects that escape from the scope established by the critic. By examining the interlocutions between the shared Theosophical referential, Santiago’s thought, and his visual solutions we suggest the existence of a shared sensibility.