Author(s):
Cruz, Mara Nunes Taquelim da, 1962- 
Date: 2008
Persistent ID: http://hdl.handle.net/10451/3148
Origin: Repositório da Universidade de Lisboa
Subject(s): Ivens, Roberto, 1850-1898; Desenho; Viagem; Caderno de viagem; Expedições; África
Description
Tese de mestrado, Desenho, Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Belas Artes, 2009 Contém em apenso 1 brochura com reproduções de 10 desenhos dos cadernos de viagens de Roberto Ivens Travelling through unknown lands in Africa, particularly from the seventeenth century, became part of the desire of fearless adventurers, attracted by the exotic and the mystery associated with new places. On these trips the explorers wrote and designed journals, which reflect a view of the surrounding land and their most intimate emotions. Alongside this trend, to travel to the unknown heart of Africa, the European powers began a big race to exploit the resources and the people of this great continent. Portugal, with possessions in the African territory, is pressed to reorganize a new expansionist policy. To this end, Portugal promotes scientific expeditions to Africa in order to increase the knowledge about the territory which is under its domain and in the future establish trade routes and incentives for the local population. Roberto Ivens and Hermenegildo Capelo become inseparable companions in two scientific expeditions to Africa. These explorers reported their expeditions in their diaries which followed them everywhere. But beyond the precious record of scientific notes and impressions of their journeys, Roberto Ivens filled their notebooks with drawings made by himself. These drawings are loaded with a strong expressiveness and vary between a strong record and a subtle feature. These expeditions were not linear. The explorers moved in labyrinthic turns throughout the jungles, swamps and savannas, doing long walks in large open spaces and walking without the aid of a map. The drawings appear to acknowledge this lack of linearity of the travel operation, as they show not only one type of line and a kind of record. The atmosphere that fills the space of the drawings is crossed by dramatic, humorous, angry, enchanted notes. All this can be seen in the pages of Roberto Ivens' travel journals, although only very remotely can one imagine the fatigue, the despair and also the fascination that was felt under such circumstances.
