Madalena dos Santos Reinbolt

Madalena dos Santos Reinbolt

Madalena dos Santos Reinbolt (September 14, 1919 – 1977) was a Brazilian artist whose multidisciplinary practice explores themes of memory, migration, and cultural hybridity. Best known for her paintings and large-scale embroideries, Reinbolt's work is deeply informed by her own identities as a domestic worker, an artist, and a Black woman, as well as themes of displacement and belonging.

In her early twenties, Reinbolt moved to Salvador from her home state of Bahia to work as a maid. In 1945, she relocated to Rio de Janeiro, then São Paulo, and finally settled in Petrópolis in 1949, where she became the cook for architect Lota de Macedo Soares and American poet Elizabeth Bishop at their residence in Samambaia. Encouraged by Soares, Reinbolt began painting during her spare time, capturing scenes reminiscent of her childhood in Bahia. Her early works, primarily oil paintings on paper and canvas, showcased expressive brushstrokes and depicted both rural and urban landscapes.

Around 1969, Reinbolt transitioned to creating large-scale embroideries, which she referred to as "quadros de lã" or "wool paintings", These intricate tapestries, crafted from hundreds of vibrant colored threads on burlap, featured themes ranging from pastoral life to celestial imagery. Her unique approach involved using multiple colored threads simultaneously, sometimes working with up to 154 needles at a time, resulting in richly textured and dynamic compositions.

Although Reinbolt faced barriers in the art world due to race and class prejudices in mid-20th-century Brazil, Reinbolt's artistic contributions eventually gained recognition. Her works were posthumously exhibited at the 1978 Venice Biennale and are now part of collections in institutions such as the Museu Afro Brasil and the Museu de Arte de São Paulo Assis Chateaubriand (MASP).

-Hannah Sheridan