CHRONOLOGY
1906 - Gerda Eltbogen is born in Trieste (then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire), on the northern border of Italy, on February 27, 1906. Her father was an Austrian from Vienna and her mother, born in Trieste, was from a German family. Stuttgart. Her maternal grandfather, Naphtali Noerdtlinger, plays an important role in her education, introducing her granddaughter to the classics of literature, which she reads in German. Her formal training includes language study and ballet and piano lessons.
1926 - Graduates in piano at the Conservatório Giuseppe Verdi, in Triesti. Young Gerda escapes the formalism of her education in the company of Triestino friends: surrealist painter Leonor Fini, Leo Krauss (later famous as New York gallery owner Leo Castelli) and art historian and professor Gillo Dorfles.
1928 - On May 8, Gerda marries Segismundo (Sigi) Brentani, both dressed in mourning, for the recent death of relatives.
1929 - The daughter Eugenia is born, nicknamed Gini by Leo Castelli, one of the first visitors.
1937 - The son Ricardo Renzo is born. The book Storielle allegre di Gerdolin (Triste, Istituto Nazionale delle Assicurazione, 1937) is published, with the illustrated stories that he writes for his daughter, then 8 years old.
1939 - Gerda Brentani arrives in São Paulo in April with her husband and two young children. She meets Paulo Rossi Osir, Ernesto de Fiori and Bernard Rudofsky.
1940/41 - The painter Ernesto de Fiori, upon seeing her illustrated stories, encourages her to draw, becoming her teacher for three years (1941 to 44). She collaborates, in Paulo Rossi Osir's ceramics studio, Osirarte, with painting on tiles. There she also practices oil painting on canvas, alongside Mário Zanini, Alfredo Volpi, Francisco Rebolo Gonsales, Hilde Weber and Giuliana Giorgi, participating in the 1st Osirarte Exhibition, in 1941.
1944 - Publishes the Livro do Nenê (São Paulo, Editora Atenas, 1944), an illustrated diary to record the life of a child. Participates in the IX Plastic Artists Union Salon, Prestes Maia Gallery, São Paulo.
1945 - First solo exhibition at the Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil. Participates in the foundation of the Club of Artists and Friends of Art - the Clubinho. 1947/48 - She is part of the direction of the Clubinho as artistic director
(1947), position for which she is re-elected twice. A series of pen-and-ink drawings 20 years later. First drawings from the series Adão e Eva and São Jorge (this last series extends throughout the 1960s).
1949 - Individual exhibition of paintings at Galeria Domus, by Nino and Ana Maria Fiocca. Invited by Sérgio Milliet, she writes and illustrates the column Observing, in O Estado de S. Paulo. Some of these drawings would be published in the book Atrás da façade (São Paulo, Editora Habitat, 1955), with a preface by the same critic.
1950/55 - Starts a series of drawings about biblical characters,
that appear throughout the 1950s. Solo exhibition The Creation of the World, at the São Paulo Museum of Art (1950). Individual at MAM-SP (1953). Participates in the exhibition An Exhibition and 5 Exhibitors at the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo (1954) and the III Bienal (1955). At the invitation of Carmen de Almeida (Capitu), director of the Women's Supplement of O Estado de S. Paulo, she writes and illustrates children's stories, which will be published in 1963 under the title Psiuuu.... Individual exhibition at Clubinho (1955).
1957/58 - Participates in a collective exhibition at the “Folhas” Art Gallery. She participated with two drawings in the 10th edition of the International Humor Exhibition in Bordighera, Italy (1957), in which she was awarded. She travels to Europe (1958), where she stays for three months. Solo exhibition in Madrid, at the Hispanic Culture Institute, and in Rome, at the Galeria D'Arte II Torcoliere (May 1958).
1959 - Individual exhibition at the Association of Friends of the Museum of Modern Art, AAMAM, known as Barzinho do Museu - shows drawings from the Biblical series. Collective Leirner Contemporary Art Award, “Folhas” Art Gallery, São Paulo.
1960/62 - Participates in the Hall of Humorists at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Rio de Janeiro (1960). He produces about one hundred pen-and-ink drawings of animals from the Museum of Zoology (1961). Individual exhibition of animal drawings at the São Luiz Art Gallery (1962).
1963/64 - Participates in the VII Bienal de São Paulo. Psiuuu... is published (São Paulo, Editora Giroflé, 1963). Solo exhibition at the São Luiz Art Gallery (1964). Participates in the Restructuring Commission of the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo.
1965 - Participates in the Salon of Modern Art in Brasília and in the Salon of Contemporary Art in Campinas. He worked (1965 to 69) in the Municipal Committee of Culture, in the Faria Lima administration.
1966/67 - Solo exhibition at Galeria Astréia and AAMAM (1966). She publishes drawings in the first twelve issues of Realidade magazine. Participates in the IX Bienal de São Paulo (1967). Drawings from the Machines series.
1968 - Exhibition at Galeria Astreia. Retrospective 1941 - 1968, at Galeria Tema. Exhibits Drawings and Collages, at A Galeria Voltaico, Rio de Janeiro. Starts metal engraving series with Marcelo Grassmann.
1969 - Participates in the Bienal de Salvador, Bahia, the X Bienal de São Paulo and the Contemporary Brazilian Art exhibition at The Modern Art Gallery, Tel-aviv, Israel. Publishes Brazilian Bestiary, vol. 1 (São Paulo, Editora César, 1969), with ten engravings and text by Paulo Emílio Vanzolini, one of the records of his involvement with extensively practiced metal engraving, under the early guidance of Marcello Grassmann.
1970 - Participates in an exhibition at Galeria Bonfiglioli and at the São Paulo Pre-Bienal. He is one of the invited artists for the inaugural exhibition of the second phase of the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo. The first drawings of the Don Quixote series appear.
1971/73 - Group exhibition at Galeria Bonfiglioli. Participates in the Salão da Caricatura, Paço das Artes, and in the Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, MAM-SP (1971). Participates in the 8th São Paulo Contemporary Art Salon in Campinas (1972). Solo exhibitions at Galeria Astréia (Série Mitologia, 1972) and Galeria Opus (Variations on a theme by Cervantes, 1973).
1974 - Exhibits drawings (O omem and its hobjetos series) with the painter F. Duval at Galeria Bonfiglioli. Shows drawings and engravings at Galeria Girassol, Campinas. Group exhibition Bichos de Abril at Kompass Gallery. Participates in the Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, MAM-SP. Participates in the 1st Humor Exhibition in Piracicaba, being awarded by the triptych Juízo Final.
1975 - Participates in the exhibitions Cavalos, at Galeria Azulão, Ecology, at the Municipality of São Paulo, and at The Second International Biennial of Cartoons and Small Satirical Sculpture, at the House of Humor and Satire, in Gabrovo, Bulgaria.
1976 - Solo exhibition at Bonfiglioli Gallery. Participates in the exhibitions Homage to Immigrants, São Paulo Museum of Art, and Ecology, at the São Paulo City Council.
1977 - Elected president of the Clubinho and, at the end of the year, the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo organizes a large retrospective with 380 works, including drawings, engravings and painting on ceramics.
1978/79 - Individual exhibition at the inauguration of the new headquarters of the AA-MAM (1978). She is invited to feature ten works in the International Anthology of Humor, edited by the House of Humor and Satire, Gabrovo, Bulgaria. Participates in the Penápolis Salon. Exhibits drawings at Grifo Galeria de Arte, São Paulo (1979). It walks along several neighborhoods in the city-Brás, Santa Cecília, Campos Elísios, etc. - and begins a series of drawings in colored ink, depicting the facades of old houses in São Paulo. This series spans the following years.
1980/81 - Participates in an exhibition at the Centro Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos, in Santos, at the Panorama de Arte Atual Brasileira, MAM-SP, and at the IV Salão de Penápolis (1980). At the Americana Municipal Library, a solo exhibition organized by the Francisco Matarazzo Sobrinho Foundation (1981). Participates in the Homage to Ciccillo Matarazzo exhibition, at the State Secretariat for Culture.
1982/84 - Participated in the book SãoPaulo, edited by Telesp, and in the Poster exhibition for Eletropaulo, at the São Paulo Museum of Art, and at the Salão de Curitiba. Solo exhibition Gerda Brentani: Fachadas da Velha São Paulo at the Pinacoteca do Estado (1982). He launched the book São Paulo, Casas e Fechadas (São Paulo, Editora Rios / Banco Nacional, 1983), with texts by Benedito Lima de Toledo and Vera d’Horta, in an exhibition at the Salão Nobre do Banco Nacional, São Paulo. Exhibition at the Casa da Cultura Marcello Grassmann, in São Simão, and at Sesc Carmo (1983). Participates in the exhibition Few and rare, at Humberto Fabrics.
1985 - Participates in the exhibition Osirarte, Pinacoteca do Estado and Salão de Penápolis.
1986 - Exhibition in honor of the artist's 80th birthday, Lasar Segall Museum, São Paulo. The book Gerda Brentani: 74 humor drawings is published (São Paulo, Lavezzo Editora / Estúdio Flux, 1986), presented by Olívio Tavares de Araújo. Collective exhibition Six artists see São Paulo, at the Chap-Chap Cultural Space. Participation in the Expo Brasil-Italia exhibition, at Anhembi, São Paulo.
1987/88 - Participates in the Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, MAM-SP and in an exhibition promoted by Unicef, at Maksoud Plaza, São Paulo (1987). Individual of prints at Paço das Artes, São Paulo (1988). Participates in a group show at Ass. Giuliani All’Estero, in Udine, Italy.
1989/91 - Produces a set of 32 drawings in colored ink and gouache, which Gerda names Terra Papagalorum, using the animals from the Museum of Zoology, in a humorous version and with titles taken from the popular songbook.
1990 - Participates in the Panorama of Current Brazilian Art - Papel, Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo.
1991 - Solo exhibition Fauna da Galáxia Brasil, at Cabinet 144, São Paulo.
1993 - I remember (São Paulo, Companhia das Letrinhas, 1993) is published.
1997 - At the age of 91, he exhibits colored drawings from the series Terra Papagalorum and Antropófolosophia, in a total of 44 works, at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo. The book Trancatudo is launched (São Paulo, Editora Ática, 1996).
1998 - The book Psiuuu... is republished (São Paulo, Editora Ática, 1998). She is honored at the XXV Humor Exhibition in Piracicaba.
1999 - On July 26, at the age of 93, Gerda Brentani dies at the home of her daughter, Eugênia Deheinzelin, who retains a large part of her work.
2000 - Has a special room at the XXVII International Humor Salon in Piracicaba.
2004 - Exhibition Drawings by Gerda Brentani, a thousand and one stories, with 150 works, Pinacocotecado Estado de São Paulo.
2010 - Gerda Brentani exhibition, The grace of a serious century, with 94 works, Caixa Cultural Galeria Neuter Michelon, São Paulo.
1926 - Graduates in piano at the Conservatório Giuseppe Verdi, in Triesti. Young Gerda escapes the formalism of her education in the company of Triestino friends: surrealist painter Leonor Fini, Leo Krauss (later famous as New York gallery owner Leo Castelli) and art historian and professor Gillo Dorfles.
1928 - On May 8, Gerda marries Segismundo (Sigi) Brentani, both dressed in mourning, for the recent death of relatives.
1929 - The daughter Eugenia is born, nicknamed Gini by Leo Castelli, one of the first visitors.
1937 - The son Ricardo Renzo is born. The book Storielle allegre di Gerdolin (Triste, Istituto Nazionale delle Assicurazione, 1937) is published, with the illustrated stories that he writes for his daughter, then 8 years old.
1939 - Gerda Brentani arrives in São Paulo in April with her husband and two young children. She meets Paulo Rossi Osir, Ernesto de Fiori and Bernard Rudofsky.
1940/41 - The painter Ernesto de Fiori, upon seeing her illustrated stories, encourages her to draw, becoming her teacher for three years (1941 to 44). She collaborates, in Paulo Rossi Osir's ceramics studio, Osirarte, with painting on tiles. There she also practices oil painting on canvas, alongside Mário Zanini, Alfredo Volpi, Francisco Rebolo Gonsales, Hilde Weber and Giuliana Giorgi, participating in the 1st Osirarte Exhibition, in 1941.
1944 - Publishes the Livro do Nenê (São Paulo, Editora Atenas, 1944), an illustrated diary to record the life of a child. Participates in the IX Plastic Artists Union Salon, Prestes Maia Gallery, São Paulo.
1945 - First solo exhibition at the Instituto de Arquitetos do Brasil. Participates in the foundation of the Club of Artists and Friends of Art - the Clubinho. 1947/48 - She is part of the direction of the Clubinho as artistic director
(1947), position for which she is re-elected twice. A series of pen-and-ink drawings 20 years later. First drawings from the series Adão e Eva and São Jorge (this last series extends throughout the 1960s).
1949 - Individual exhibition of paintings at Galeria Domus, by Nino and Ana Maria Fiocca. Invited by Sérgio Milliet, she writes and illustrates the column Observing, in O Estado de S. Paulo. Some of these drawings would be published in the book Atrás da façade (São Paulo, Editora Habitat, 1955), with a preface by the same critic.
1950/55 - Starts a series of drawings about biblical characters,
that appear throughout the 1950s. Solo exhibition The Creation of the World, at the São Paulo Museum of Art (1950). Individual at MAM-SP (1953). Participates in the exhibition An Exhibition and 5 Exhibitors at the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo (1954) and the III Bienal (1955). At the invitation of Carmen de Almeida (Capitu), director of the Women's Supplement of O Estado de S. Paulo, she writes and illustrates children's stories, which will be published in 1963 under the title Psiuuu.... Individual exhibition at Clubinho (1955).
1957/58 - Participates in a collective exhibition at the “Folhas” Art Gallery. She participated with two drawings in the 10th edition of the International Humor Exhibition in Bordighera, Italy (1957), in which she was awarded. She travels to Europe (1958), where she stays for three months. Solo exhibition in Madrid, at the Hispanic Culture Institute, and in Rome, at the Galeria D'Arte II Torcoliere (May 1958).
1959 - Individual exhibition at the Association of Friends of the Museum of Modern Art, AAMAM, known as Barzinho do Museu - shows drawings from the Biblical series. Collective Leirner Contemporary Art Award, “Folhas” Art Gallery, São Paulo.
1960/62 - Participates in the Hall of Humorists at the National Museum of Fine Arts, Rio de Janeiro (1960). He produces about one hundred pen-and-ink drawings of animals from the Museum of Zoology (1961). Individual exhibition of animal drawings at the São Luiz Art Gallery (1962).
1963/64 - Participates in the VII Bienal de São Paulo. Psiuuu... is published (São Paulo, Editora Giroflé, 1963). Solo exhibition at the São Luiz Art Gallery (1964). Participates in the Restructuring Commission of the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo.
1965 - Participates in the Salon of Modern Art in Brasília and in the Salon of Contemporary Art in Campinas. He worked (1965 to 69) in the Municipal Committee of Culture, in the Faria Lima administration.
1966/67 - Solo exhibition at Galeria Astréia and AAMAM (1966). She publishes drawings in the first twelve issues of Realidade magazine. Participates in the IX Bienal de São Paulo (1967). Drawings from the Machines series.
1968 - Exhibition at Galeria Astreia. Retrospective 1941 - 1968, at Galeria Tema. Exhibits Drawings and Collages, at A Galeria Voltaico, Rio de Janeiro. Starts metal engraving series with Marcelo Grassmann.
1969 - Participates in the Bienal de Salvador, Bahia, the X Bienal de São Paulo and the Contemporary Brazilian Art exhibition at The Modern Art Gallery, Tel-aviv, Israel. Publishes Brazilian Bestiary, vol. 1 (São Paulo, Editora César, 1969), with ten engravings and text by Paulo Emílio Vanzolini, one of the records of his involvement with extensively practiced metal engraving, under the early guidance of Marcello Grassmann.
1970 - Participates in an exhibition at Galeria Bonfiglioli and at the São Paulo Pre-Bienal. He is one of the invited artists for the inaugural exhibition of the second phase of the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo. The first drawings of the Don Quixote series appear.
1971/73 - Group exhibition at Galeria Bonfiglioli. Participates in the Salão da Caricatura, Paço das Artes, and in the Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, MAM-SP (1971). Participates in the 8th São Paulo Contemporary Art Salon in Campinas (1972). Solo exhibitions at Galeria Astréia (Série Mitologia, 1972) and Galeria Opus (Variations on a theme by Cervantes, 1973).
1974 - Exhibits drawings (O omem and its hobjetos series) with the painter F. Duval at Galeria Bonfiglioli. Shows drawings and engravings at Galeria Girassol, Campinas. Group exhibition Bichos de Abril at Kompass Gallery. Participates in the Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, MAM-SP. Participates in the 1st Humor Exhibition in Piracicaba, being awarded by the triptych Juízo Final.
1975 - Participates in the exhibitions Cavalos, at Galeria Azulão, Ecology, at the Municipality of São Paulo, and at The Second International Biennial of Cartoons and Small Satirical Sculpture, at the House of Humor and Satire, in Gabrovo, Bulgaria.
1976 - Solo exhibition at Bonfiglioli Gallery. Participates in the exhibitions Homage to Immigrants, São Paulo Museum of Art, and Ecology, at the São Paulo City Council.
1977 - Elected president of the Clubinho and, at the end of the year, the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo organizes a large retrospective with 380 works, including drawings, engravings and painting on ceramics.
1978/79 - Individual exhibition at the inauguration of the new headquarters of the AA-MAM (1978). She is invited to feature ten works in the International Anthology of Humor, edited by the House of Humor and Satire, Gabrovo, Bulgaria. Participates in the Penápolis Salon. Exhibits drawings at Grifo Galeria de Arte, São Paulo (1979). It walks along several neighborhoods in the city-Brás, Santa Cecília, Campos Elísios, etc. - and begins a series of drawings in colored ink, depicting the facades of old houses in São Paulo. This series spans the following years.
1980/81 - Participates in an exhibition at the Centro Cultural Brasil-Estados Unidos, in Santos, at the Panorama de Arte Atual Brasileira, MAM-SP, and at the IV Salão de Penápolis (1980). At the Americana Municipal Library, a solo exhibition organized by the Francisco Matarazzo Sobrinho Foundation (1981). Participates in the Homage to Ciccillo Matarazzo exhibition, at the State Secretariat for Culture.
1982/84 - Participated in the book SãoPaulo, edited by Telesp, and in the Poster exhibition for Eletropaulo, at the São Paulo Museum of Art, and at the Salão de Curitiba. Solo exhibition Gerda Brentani: Fachadas da Velha São Paulo at the Pinacoteca do Estado (1982). He launched the book São Paulo, Casas e Fechadas (São Paulo, Editora Rios / Banco Nacional, 1983), with texts by Benedito Lima de Toledo and Vera d’Horta, in an exhibition at the Salão Nobre do Banco Nacional, São Paulo. Exhibition at the Casa da Cultura Marcello Grassmann, in São Simão, and at Sesc Carmo (1983). Participates in the exhibition Few and rare, at Humberto Fabrics.
1985 - Participates in the exhibition Osirarte, Pinacoteca do Estado and Salão de Penápolis.
1986 - Exhibition in honor of the artist's 80th birthday, Lasar Segall Museum, São Paulo. The book Gerda Brentani: 74 humor drawings is published (São Paulo, Lavezzo Editora / Estúdio Flux, 1986), presented by Olívio Tavares de Araújo. Collective exhibition Six artists see São Paulo, at the Chap-Chap Cultural Space. Participation in the Expo Brasil-Italia exhibition, at Anhembi, São Paulo.
1987/88 - Participates in the Panorama of Current Brazilian Art, MAM-SP and in an exhibition promoted by Unicef, at Maksoud Plaza, São Paulo (1987). Individual of prints at Paço das Artes, São Paulo (1988). Participates in a group show at Ass. Giuliani All’Estero, in Udine, Italy.
1989/91 - Produces a set of 32 drawings in colored ink and gouache, which Gerda names Terra Papagalorum, using the animals from the Museum of Zoology, in a humorous version and with titles taken from the popular songbook.
1990 - Participates in the Panorama of Current Brazilian Art - Papel, Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo.
1991 - Solo exhibition Fauna da Galáxia Brasil, at Cabinet 144, São Paulo.
1993 - I remember (São Paulo, Companhia das Letrinhas, 1993) is published.
1997 - At the age of 91, he exhibits colored drawings from the series Terra Papagalorum and Antropófolosophia, in a total of 44 works, at the Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo. The book Trancatudo is launched (São Paulo, Editora Ática, 1996).
1998 - The book Psiuuu... is republished (São Paulo, Editora Ática, 1998). She is honored at the XXV Humor Exhibition in Piracicaba.
1999 - On July 26, at the age of 93, Gerda Brentani dies at the home of her daughter, Eugênia Deheinzelin, who retains a large part of her work.
2000 - Has a special room at the XXVII International Humor Salon in Piracicaba.
2004 - Exhibition Drawings by Gerda Brentani, a thousand and one stories, with 150 works, Pinacocotecado Estado de São Paulo.
2010 - Gerda Brentani exhibition, The grace of a serious century, with 94 works, Caixa Cultural Galeria Neuter Michelon, São Paulo.
