Vieira Portuense

Francisco Vieira de Matos (Porto, 13 May 1765 - Funchal, 2 May 1805), who choose the artistic name of Vieira Portuense, sometimes known as Vieira Lusitano, was a Portuguese painter, one of the introducers of Neoclassicism in Portuguese painting. He was, in the neoclassical style, one of the two great Portuguese painters of his generation, with Domingos Sequeira.He first studyed in Lisbon, later moving to Rome. He traveled through Italy, Germany, Austria and England, before returning to Portugal, in 1800. He met Swiss painter Angelika Kauffmann, from who he seems to have received influences.He seems to anticipate some motives of the romantic painting, in several of his historical paintings, like "Dona Filipa de Vilhena knighting her sons" (1801).

He contracted tuberculosis, and moved to Madeira, were he died, aged only 39.

He's represented at the National Museum of Ancient Art, in Lisbon, and at the National Museum Soares dos Reis, in Porto.

References

*José-Augusto França, "A Arte em Portugal no Século XIX", Lisboa, Bertrand Editora, 1991, volume 1.