Firmino Monteiro

He was born into poverty in Rio de Janeiro, and in his youth had to work as a clerk, printer and bookbinder to help support his family.

As a result, he had to postpone his artistic studies at the Academia Imperial de Belas Artes until he was older than the average new student.

[1] Most of his work consisted of landscapes and genre scenes done in and around Rio de Janeiro.

One of his first trips elsewhere occurred in 1880, when he was able to go to Europe with the financial assistance of Emperor Pedro II.

[1] When he returned, he applied for the chair of "Landscape, Flower and Animal Painting" at the academy, but the position went to someone else.