In it, the moment is depicted in a circular arrangement around the main figure, friar Henrique de Coimbra, who also occupies the physical center of the painting while lifting the chalice.

While the Portuguese kneel and maintain a serious posture before the altar, the amerindians are depicted among the trees and the ground, engaging in conversation and showing signs of strangeness caused by the event.

The French artist became one of Meirelles' main references for the construction of the work, but the Brazilian painter distanced himself from Vernet by choosing to portray the scene with more lightness.

[5] The depicted nature belongs to the Brazilian Northeast region, and the Indians, despite displaying body paintings, are idealized representations without indications of a specific ethnicity.

Based on Jesuit experiences, the concept of the nation that they sought to narrate aligned with the idea of a civilizing process as a means to ensure State control over indigenous populations.

[1] The painter used the Letter of Pero Vaz de Caminha as a major reference, a document that describes the Europeans' first impressions of Brazil and the first mass held in the country.

[2] Meirelles' work aimed to be a founding milestone not only of a specific region but of Brazil as a whole, and its widespread circulation places it as an important element of the collective imaginary of national history.

[7] The harmony among the figures depicted in the painting also suggests an idea of equality and contributes to the creation of another aspect of national identity: that the construction of its symbols is a tool for containing revolts.

[8] In addition to its reception in international exhibitions, the artwork granted Victor Meirelles the title of Imperial Knight of the Order of the Rose and the position of honorary professor at the Academy of Fine Arts.