João Cristino da Silva

He was born into a merchant family and began his studies at the Academy of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon in 1841, but was known for being temperamental, taking issue with his instructor, António Manuel da Fonseca, and the school's teaching methods, so he left in 1847 without completing his courses.

He was mainly known as a landscape painter and often worked with Tomás da Anunciação, who he considered to be his true teacher.

In 1860, he became a substitute Professor at the Academy, but abandoned the post in 1867 because of continuing disagreements with the administration.

He also collaborated in providing illustrations for the weekly magazine Arquivo Pitoresco [pt], which was published from 1857 to 1868.

He became mentally unbalanced and died of heart failure in the psychiatric hospital at the Convento de Rilhafoles [pt].