Gare Marítima da Rocha do Conde de Óbidos
After concluding the mural paintings at the Alcântara Maritime Station in 1945, Almada Negreiros began preparing the decoration project for the Rocha do Conde de Óbidos Maritime Station in 1946, completing it in 1949.
[East Wall]
In these panels, he moved away from the clearly narrative nature of his work at the first station, favouring a more geometrical approach and colour blocks without gradations in shade or three-dimensional effects, in a combination of Cubism and graphic arts.
On this wall we see a ship ready to set sail. Everything seems to be on the same plane, with no background landscape or any references to the place where the action unfolds. Yet, it could be happening right here, by the river, on this quay. We see emotional farewells and the embarking of those who leave in search of a better life, a theme that was not in tune with the message that the dictatorial regime sought to convey.
[West Wall]
After concluding the mural paintings at the Alcântara Maritime Station in 1945, Almada Negreiros began preparing the decoration project for the Rocha do Conde de Óbidos Maritime Station in 1946, completing it in 1949. In these panels, he moved away from the clearly narrative nature of his work at the first station, favouring a more geometrical approach and colour blocks without gradations in shade or three-dimensional effects, in a combination of Cubism and graphic arts.
On this wall we have three independent panels, each with a group of people in a small boat in the foreground (a family, two fishermen, and some performing artists). We also see boats under construction, African fishwives and a crowd watching circus performers. Just like the opposite triptych in this hall, we are faced with themes that challenge the image that the regime would like to see publicized in this space, so much so that at the time these mural paintings were at risk of being destroyed.