José Joaquim da Rocha

He painted many easel pieces, but his most famous compositions are the great ceilings of churches made in the illusionistic perspective technique, organizing complex virtual architectural structures ornamented with garlands and scrolls, which support a central medallion, where the main scene of the set appears, usually showing Jesus or the Virgin Mary in glorifying situations.

Like other works of the Baroque period, the painting should edify the observer and instruct him in the precepts of the Catholic Church, making use of a sumptuous plasticity that, through the seduction of the senses, leads the devotee to the contemplation of the beauties of the spirit.

[1][2] An anonymous manuscript found by Carlos Ott in the National Library, dated between 1866 and 1876, suggests that José Joaquim originated from Minas Gerais, though this claim is questionable.

However, researcher Maria de Fátima Campos argues that Salvador was already capable of providing a suitable education for a talented young artist.

[5][4] Upon his return, he was a mature painter competing for a major commission for illusionistic perspective painting—a technique requiring exceptional skill—in the Church of Our Lady of Health and Glory.

[9] By 1772 or 1773, he was in Salvador, where he was commissioned to paint an illusionistic perspective on the ceiling of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, one of the most important churches in Bahia at the time.

It features a grand depiction of the Glorification of the Immaculate Conception, surrounded by allegories of the four continents, divine figures, and monumental illusionistic architecture.

In 1777, he undertook the task of painting a Visitation of Mary to Saint Elizabeth for the altarpiece of the chapel of the Santa Casa da Misericórdia, which is considered one of his finest works on canvas.

Between 1778 and 1780, the Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel commissioned him to gild the altarpiece of the chancel, and he may also have created the panel featuring the image, though this work was lost in a fire shortly afterward.

During the initial phase, he designed the central medallion and the perspective of the ceiling, but the actual execution was carried out by an unknown painter, possibly his disciple Veríssimo de Freitas.

[5] Despite an improved economic situation compared to his earlier years, he never amassed great wealth, even with numerous commissions and the ability to set prices.

After this, he focused on smaller works, including a depiction of Christ with a green cane for the Santa Casa da Misericórdia in 1796 and two paintings for the Church of the Third Order of Saint Francis.

His stylistic influences were derived from both direct learning from established masters—particularly from the Portuguese painting school—and from studying a rich array of engravings and prints circulating in the colony.

[18][5][14] José Joaquim's work continues to be a subject for further study, with critics highlighting various aspects of his history and artistic individuality.

This technique, highly valued in colonial Brazil, is rooted in a tradition initiated in Italy and perfected by Andrea Pozzo in the 17th century.

Carlos Ott proposed that Joaquim's supposed trip to Portugal might have included a visit to Italy, where he could have seen this celebrated painting.

Notable early artists included Calmão, Simões, Filgueira, and Maciel, who were predecessors and contemporaries of José Joaquim.

While these artists made significant contributions as pioneers, Joaquim’s greatest legacy lies in his transformative impact on the Bahia school of painting.

[29][30] His work has been studied by Manuel Raimundo Querino (who introduced the concept of the "School of Bahia"), Carlos Ott, Clarival do Prado Valadares, Marieta Alves, and Maria de Fátima Campos, among others.

The ceiling of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception, his greatest work and one of the most important of the Brazilian Baroque, was for several years in the process of degradation, and according to technical reports, it almost collapsed, but the National Institute of Historic and Artistic Heritage (IPHAN) started an emergency restoration in 2012.

[5] Similarly, the ceiling of the Church of the Third Order of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Black People, also regarded as one of his best (if it is indeed his work), was long obscured by repainting and forgotten.