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Papaya and watermelon
Oil on canvas, 54 x 65 cm, by
Agostinho da Mota, 1860
Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro
 

This work exemplifies the academic still life tradition in Brazil, merging European compositional techniques with distinctly tropical subject matter. The attentive depiction of the fruits—papaya, watermelon, and cashew—reflects both botanical precision and a quiet celebration of local abundance. Positioned within the broader context of 19th-century Brazilian painting, the work subtly asserts national identity through the visual language of imported artistic conventions.