--- title: "Chico da Silva, Brazilian painter: paintings and biography" description: "Chico da Silva (1910–1985), painter of the fantastic and founder of the Pirambu School in Fortaleza. Paintings in high resolution, with biography and essays." canonical: https://chicodasilva.org/en/ lang: en license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ translations: en: https://chicodasilva.org/en/ es: https://chicodasilva.org/es/ fr: https://chicodasilva.org/fr/ pt: https://chicodasilva.org/pt/ ar: https://chicodasilva.org/ar/ zh-Hans: https://chicodasilva.cn/ --- Catalogue of works # Chico da Silva Painter of the fantastic, Pirambu School, Fortaleza Francisco Domingos da Silva (1910–1985), known as Chico da Silva, was a self-taught master of Brazilian naïve painting whose roosters, fish and fantastic beasts earned an honourable mention at the 1966 Venice Biennale. From the Pirambu neighbourhood of Fortaleza he gathered a circle of painters that became known as the Pirambu School. [Paintings →](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/) [Biography →](https://chicodasilva.org/en/biography/) [![Cockfight, Chico da Silva, 1983](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-030/chico-da-silva-cockfight-1983-acrylic-on-canvas-50x70cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-030-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Cockfight, 1983](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/cockfight-1983-030/) ## Selected works [See all works →](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-086/chico-da-silva-peacock-and-fantastic-bird-undated-gouache-on-paper-50x72cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-086-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Peacock and Fantastic Bird c. 1969](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/peacock-and-fantastic-bird-086/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-087/chico-da-silva-two-birds-and-an-insect-undated-gouache-on-paper-50x72cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-087-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Two Birds and an Insect c. 1969](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/two-birds-and-an-insect-087/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-085/chico-da-silva-fantastic-bird-and-fledglings-undated-gouache-on-paper-43x59cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-085-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Fantastic Bird and Fledglings c. 1969](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/fantastic-bird-and-fledglings-085/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-028/chico-da-silva-fantastic-animals-1978-acrylic-on-canvas-42x60cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-028-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Fantastic Animals 1978](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/fantastic-animals-1978-028/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-075/chico-da-silva-dragon-and-serpent-1973-acrylic-on-paper-hardboard-70x100cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-075-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Dragon and Serpent 1973](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/dragon-and-serpent-1973-075/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-074/chico-da-silva-cockfight-1972-gouache-on-canvas-60x100cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-074-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Cockfight 1972](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/cockfight-1972-074/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-033/chico-da-silva-untitled-1972-acrylic-on-canvas-60x72cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-033-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Untitled 1972](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/untitled-1972-033/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-032/chico-da-silva-untitled-1972-acrylic-on-canvas-77x89cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-032-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Untitled 1972](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/untitled-1972-032/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-038/chico-da-silva-untitled-1971-acrylic-on-canvas-57x71cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-038-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Untitled 1971](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/untitled-1971-038/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-012/chico-da-silva-fantastic-bird-1972-acrylic-on-canvas-70x50cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-012-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Fantastic Bird 1972](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/fantastic-bird-1972-012/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-011/chico-da-silva-fantastic-bird-1973-acrylic-on-canvas-70x50cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-011-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Fantastic Bird 1973](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/fantastic-bird-1973-011/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-037/chico-da-silva-untitled-1971-acrylic-on-canvas-57x71cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-037-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Untitled 1971](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/untitled-1971-037/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-016/chico-da-silva-dragons-1971-acrylic-on-canvas-64x80cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-016-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Dragons 1971](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/dragons-1971-016/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-014/chico-da-silva-peacock-1970-gouache-on-canvas-hardboard-64x44cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-014-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Peacock 1970](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/peacock-1970-014/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/jcc-031/chico-da-silva-cockfight-1969-gouache-on-paper-hardboard-53x67cm-joao-cunha-collection-jcc-031-chicodasilva.org-640.jpg)Cockfight 1969](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/cockfight-1969-031/) - [See all works ](https://chicodasilva.org/en/paintings/) ## The painter [![A man in a striped polo shirt, seen in profile, holds a fine brush to the leg of a large creature painted in gouache: a curved beak, a round eye, a segmented crab-like body and a wing with a fan-shaped, patterned tail. The sheet rests against a plain wall. Black and white photograph.](https://img.chicodasilva.org/photos/chico-da-silva-painting-a-fantastical-creature-640.jpg)](https://chicodasilva.org/en/biography/) *In profile, he retouches with a fine brush the leg of a creature with a curved beak and a fan-shaped tail, painted on a large sheet propped against the wall.Photographer unidentified.* 1. [1910 Born in the Alto Tejo, in the forests of Acre ](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/caboclo-of-the-alto-tejo/) 2. [1943 Discovered by the Swiss painter Jean-Pierre Chabloz ](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/chabloz-and-the-discovery/) 3. [1963 Gathers the circle that became the Pirambu School ](https://chicodasilva.org/en/pirambu-school/) 4. [1966 Honourable mention at the 33rd Venice Biennale ](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/venice-1966/) 5. [1985 Dies in Fortaleza ](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/final-years/) [Biography →](https://chicodasilva.org/en/biography/) ## The Pirambu School [The essay on the school →](https://chicodasilva.org/en/pirambu-school/) From late 1963 his house in Pirambu worked as a collective studio: the young painters of the neighbourhood learned the craft there, each at one stage of the same canvas, and paintings left the house at a pace no single hand could keep. - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/photos/claudionor-portrait-1977-ai-upscaled-640.jpg)AI upscale Claudionor José Claudionor Nogueira Led the drawing, and was already supplying drawings back in the museum years.](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/claudionor-the-draughtsman/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/photos/ivan-de-assis-portrait-1977-ai-upscaled-640.jpg)AI upscale Ivan de Assis Ivan José de Assis Drew creatures straight out of the Greek myth films he watched.](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/ivan-de-assis-the-cinema-in-the-bestiary/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/photos/baba-portrait-1977-ai-upscaled-640.jpg)AI upscale Babá Sebastião Lima da Silva The first to put a hand to the painting, and the touch that set the school’s standard.](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/baba-the-first-disciple/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/photos/garcia-portrait-1977-ai-upscaled-640.jpg)AI upscale Garcia José Garcia dos Santos Gomes Backyard to backyard with the painter, and the only one of the core still alive.](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/garcia-the-last-disciple/) - [![](https://img.chicodasilva.org/photos/chica-da-silva-portrait-1977-ai-upscaled-640.jpg)AI upscale Chica da Silva Francisca da Silva The painter’s daughter: “Papa painted card sheets on the wall.”](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/chica-da-silva-the-painters-daughter/) ## Essays [All articles →](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/) Essays on the life and work of Chico da Silva, written from period sources: newspapers, books, interviews and the collection itself. 1. [01 The Caboclo of the Alto Tejo](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/caboclo-of-the-alto-tejo/) 2. [02 The Murals of Praia Formosa](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/murals-of-praia-formosa/) 3. [03 Jean-Pierre Chabloz and the Discovery of Chico da Silva](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/chabloz-and-the-discovery/) 4. [04 The Pirambu School](https://chicodasilva.org/en/pirambu-school/) 5. [05 Venice, 1966](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/venice-1966/) 6. [06 The Painting Factory](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/painting-factory/) 7. [07 The Final Years](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/final-years/) 8. [08 The Instituto Oboé and the Pirambu Revival](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/instituto-oboe/) 9. [09 Garcia, the Last Disciple](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/garcia-the-last-disciple/) 10. [10 Babá, the First Disciple](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/baba-the-first-disciple/) 11. [11 Claudionor, the Draughtsman](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/claudionor-the-draughtsman/) 12. [12 Chica da Silva, the Painter's Daughter](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/chica-da-silva-the-painters-daughter/) 13. [13 Ivan de Assis, the Cinema in the Bestiary](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/ivan-de-assis-the-cinema-in-the-bestiary/) 14. [14 Maria Augusta, the Girl Who Signed](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/maria-augusta-the-girl-who-signed/) 15. [15 Primitive, Naïve, Indigenous](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/primitive-naif-indigenous/) 16. [16 Legacy and Rediscovery](https://chicodasilva.org/en/articles/legacy-and-rediscovery/) ## João Cunha Collection The collection holds gouaches and acrylics by Chico da Silva, from the late 1960s to the last canvases of 1983, together with the work of his circle: a gouache Maria Augusta signed in 1973, the canvases of the Pirambu revival, and the ones Garcia paints today. Every painting is photographed in high resolution and opens in a deep-zoom viewer, with its catalogue entry, a description written for blind visitors and a persistent identifier to cite. [Photographs free to reuse, with credit →](https://chicodasilva.org/en/about/#license) [About the collection →](https://chicodasilva.org/en/about/) [Contact →](https://chicodasilva.org/en/about/#contact)