Return to Paris

When World War II ended, Vieira da Silva was reinvigorated in her desire to return to Europe. Lisbon, the city of her birth, continued to influence her, but it was Paris, the city of her professional achievement, that she returned to in 1947. Paris, like many other European cities, was just starting to recover from the trauma of war. Vieira da Silva’s outlook was positive and she celebrated France’s newfound freedom in National Celebration (1949–50) and Paris Celebration (1950). Concurrently, she delved into the study and dissection of architectural spaces, as evinced by The Hallway or Interior (1948) in which she reimagines an interior space using the checkered technique that characterizes her representations of dancers and harlequins. The Prophecy of Saint Anthony (1947–50) is a counterpoint to the works shown in this section. Figurative, despite the reduction of its subjects to simplified forms, this work is both a tribute to Saint Anthony’s preachings and the enthusiasm they generated, as well as nod to Vieira da Silva’s own background: “I was born on the night of St Anthony’s Day [June 13], at three o’clock in the morning… My mum used to say that she gave birth to me to the sound of bagpipes and firecrackers. That’s where the joy and optimism in me come from.”