Vieira da Silva, Maria Elena (1908–1992)
Vieira da Silva, Maria Elena (1908–1992)
Portuguese-born French painter. Name variations: Maria Helena. Born June 13, 1908, in Lisbon, Portugal; died Mar 6, 1992, in Paris, France; only child of Marcos Vieira da Silva (economist) and Maria (Graca) Vieira da Silva; studied in Paris, learning sculpture with Bourdelle and Despiau, engraving with Hayter, and painting with Friesz and Léger; m. Arpad Szénes (Hungarian painter), Feb 22, 1930.
In Paris, held the 1st of her several one-woman shows (1933); had a semi-abstract style notable for its soft colors, gentle light, and often poetic moods; spent WWII in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1939–47), creating murals for the University of Agriculture, but lived the vast majority of her adult life in France, ultimately becoming a French citizen; exhibited at the Venice and Sao Paolo Biennales, as well as in London, Paris and NY (1940s–50s); paintings hang in major museums and galleries around the world; works include Forest of Errors (1941), The City (1948), Morning Mist (1952), Iron Bridges (1953), Theatre (1953), Nocturnal Space (1954) and Overhead Railway (1955).