Iconografia baianana Coleção Flávia e Frank Abubakir

Works of art, maps, and rare books produced between the 17th and 19th centuries shed light on Brazil's formative period through the eyes of travelers, painters, explorers, and visitors.

The country's largest and most important private collection, bringing together Bahian iconography from the 17th to 19th centuries, opens to the public this December in a volume published by Capivara, edited by Pedro Corrêa do Lago. It includes rare and important oil paintings, a long series of watercolors, sketchbooks, engravings, illustrated books (many of which exist in only a few copies worldwide), and some of the earliest maps of Brazil. Sponsored by Unipar, the collection is under the care of the Flávia Abubakir Institute.

There are 269 images and a careful analysis of this artistic, cartographic and documentary production never before brought together.

The colony's first capital (until 1763), Salvador, a strategic point in the Portuguese occupation process, aroused the desire of sailors from other countries. Even before the arrival of the Portuguese royal family in 1808 and the opening of the ports, Bahia had already been visited by artists, sailors, and explorers, primarily Dutch, who reproduced landscapes and characters. From 1808 onward, the iconography grew, especially due to the fascination with the local landscapes.

The chosen selection for the book emphasizes the diverse interests of foreign artists in the lands and peoples of Bahia. The texts are authored by seven historians, professors, and architects. The introductions to each section feature texts by Daniel Rebouças, a professor, historian, consultant, and holder of a master's and doctorate in History from the Federal University of Bahia. "This is a highly significant work, a landmark in the iconography of Bahia and Brazil in general," states Daniel.