The paintings gathered in this section were created by artists who moved between Carnival, samba and the visual arts at different moments in their careers. Although the styles and production periods presented here are diverse, the works highlight the multiple roles of samba musicians, performers, composers and other people associated with the popular festival.
The relationships between the creative processes of Carnival and the visual arts date back to the beginning of the twentieth century, when pioneers such as João da Baiana and Heitor dos Prazeres contributed to the consolidation of samba and the parades. Their works and the paintings of those who came after show us how the visual dimension occupies a fundamental place in popular culture, present in the formation of the identity of samba schools and in the history of Carnival itself.