CYRIACO DA COSTA TAVARES (1879-1930) AND HIS SCULPTURAL WORK:

THE VIRGIN OF THE PILLAR OF SÃO JOÃO DEL REI

Abstract

In this article, we propose an initial and more attentive look at the art of Cyriaco da Costa Tavares, especially the sculpture of Our Lady of the Pillar, present in the Cathedral Basilica of the city of São João del Rei, Minas Gerais, Brazil. The article aims to unveil the figure of Cyriaco da Costa Tavares, to recover the importance that the image of Our Lady of the Pillar created by him has in the religious history of São João del Rei, as well as to perceive it as an element indicative of the change in stylistic and aesthetic taste regarding the religious art found in the city's main church. The relationship between the Marian cult and the origins of the place will be addressed, covering the emergence of the current main church and its changes over the centuries. The article will seek to perceive the change in the titular image as an indication of the influence of new stylistic tastes in the alteration of artistic elements of the Cathedral Basilica.