Modernist women artists from influence to partnership: the case of Lucy Citti Ferreira

Abstract

Women artists associated with modernism have often been interpreted through discourses that prioritize their male colleagues and partners, frequently relegating secondary roles to them. Considering this, this paper discusses the concept of "influence" as applied to the work and careers of female artists involved in creative partnerships. To this end, we focus on the case of the painter Lucy Citti Ferreira, as we analyze a 1937 critique regarding her participation in the 1st Salão de Maio, where she was characterized as having been "influenced" by the Lithuanian Brazilian painter Lasar Segall, with who she maintained a creative partnership for twelve years. We examine how Lucy responded to this criticism, both in writing and through the work she exhibited at the Salon: an act we interpret as a deliberate assertion of her own artistic stance. This proposition was developed from the master’s research project conducted at PGEHA-USP, titled “Lucy Citti Ferreira: Partnership as Authorship”, which analyzed Lucy’s career and body of work to shed light on her artistic output and the artistic partnerships she established.