Francisco Valença papers, 1895-1963

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Summary

Creators:

Valença, F. (Francisco), 1882-1962, Leal da Câmara, Tomás, 1876-1948, and Monterroso, Manuel

Abstract:

The Francisco Valença papers contain the work of the acclaimed Portuguese caricaturist who was most active between 1905 and 1958. Contents of the collection include letters received, unpublished manuscripts, original caricatures and comics, drawings and studies, printed matter and personal documents of Valença. Correspondence comprises letters from Portuguese intellectuals, politicians and modernist artist's groups. Manuscripts include a bibliography, records of artwork and writings on other artists. His artwork consists mostly of original pen and ink caricatures.

Extent:

13.25 Linear Feet (12 boxes)

Language:

Collection material is in Portuguese.

Preferred citation:

Francisco Valença papers, 1895-1963, The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, Accession no. 970071

http://hdl.handle.net/10020/cifa970071

Background

Scope and content:

The collection contains the substantial correspondence, manuscripts and caricatures that span Valença's fruitful and politically active career. His correspondence is comprised of 500 letters received from correspondents such as Manuel Aníbal da Costa Monterroso, Tomás Júlio Leal da Câmara and Artur Ernesto Santa Cruz de Magalhães, as well as other artists, poets, journalists, editors and museum directors for whom he worked. The letters represented in the collection offer an extensive overview of the artist's network in times of political change and press censorship.

Manuscript material in the collection includes unpublished manuscripts by Valença such as commentaries on his own life and work, manuscripts on the work of Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro, a manuscript on the early modernist group Group d'Aguia, and unpublished issues of the satiric journals O Garonga and Pcht!.

Original caricatures by Valença include 1200 mostly pen and ink sketches (some colored), 300 smaller pencil sketches, and 11 watercolor studies done in the studio of José Malhôa. Printed material designed by Valença such as menus, theater programs and posters are also included. The caricatures reflect the epic political shifts that occured during Valença's professional career documenting the governments of Don Carlos and Salazar as well as the events of the times, World War I, World War II and the period of Fascism.

Biographical / historical:

Francisco de Paula Valença (Calino) (1882-1962), was born in Lisbon and is best known for his caricature drawings and his work as a publisher and draftsman. He is considered the most important Portuguese caricaturist of his time. He attended courses at the Sociedade Nacional de Bellas Artes in Lisbon in 1902 to 1903 and subsequently he worked at the studio of José Malôha. Valença founded several popular satirical newspapers including O Chinelo, Varões Assinalados (which was published during the revolutionary atmosphere of the New Republic in 1909), Salão Cómico and O Moscardo. Valença frequently collaborated with Carlos Simões, André Brun and other popular humor writers from the same period.

Valença's caricatures were regularly published in Portuguese journals, reviews and newspapers, especially those he helped to found, but his work was also published and appreciated internationally, such as in Rire and Boletin Fermé. Valença also had a large oeuvre of work published in books including the Catálogos Cómicos (1914-1919 and 1923-1924) at the annual exhibition of the Society of Fine Arts in Lisbon and many others.

In 1912 he assimilated with Pró Patria - Grupo de Propaganda e de Educação Civica and also became a member of the Sociedade de Humoristas Portugueses, a group of political and anticlerical artists. Valença's most fruitful period of productivity was from 1926 to 1958 and is well represented by his collaboration with Sempre Fixe and his drafts for the Museu Etnológico Dr. Leite Vasconcelos.

Acquisition information:

Acquired in 1997.

Processing information:

Inventory was completed by Anna Krüger under the supervision of Laura Schroffel in 2013.

Arrangement:

Arranged in three series:

Series I. Correspondence, 1900-1962;

Series II. Manuscript materials, 1897-1963;

Series III. Artwork, 1895-1958.

Physical location:

Request access to the physical materials described in this inventory through the catalog record for this collection. Click here for the access policy.

Rules or conventions:

Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Indexed terms

Subjects:: Caricatures and cartoons -- Portugal
Artists -- Correspondence
Political Satire -- Periodicals
Letters (correspondence)
Manuscripts
Ink drawings
Names:: Pinheiro, Rafael Bordalo, 1846-1905
Magalhães, Cruz

Access and use

Restrictions:: Open for use by qualified researchers.
Terms of access:: Contact Library Reproductions and Permissions.