Teeteto

Whale hunting (second half of the XVIII century) by Leandro Joaquim (1738-1798). Leandro Joaquim left impressive portraits of the landscape of Rio de Janeiro, and such portraits are treasured, as they allow us to have a good glimpse of life in the capital of Brazil during the colonial period. We can see Rios’ astonishing landscape and a piece of the city, showing a largely Portuguese-influenced architecture. Notably, this is the only painting showing the activity of whale hunting, which was far from being uncommon during the time, as whales were responsible for providing oil for public lighting, and even meat. Fortunately, the advent of electric light stopped large-scale whaling (at least in Brazil) and left these accounts just for historians to write about.