Para Todos Magazine Cover

J. Carlos collaborated and  illustrated for all the major publications of Brazil, including Para Todos.  Carlos’ strong art deco influence and unique illustrative style set his work apart from other illustrators of the time.  In this illustration, a black waiter dances with a delicate woman on his shoulders.  The palm leaves in the back and parrot are similarly playful and stylized, connected to the setting and culture of the target audience. Carlos’ whimsical illustrative style and beautiful linework as well as balance of movement and color can objectively be appreciated from an art and design perspective. A strong European influence is evident in his depiction of spindly, palid, ethereal women, as well as blackface caricatures.  Despite many elements of his work being reflective of the time period he designed in rather than his own perception of beauty and representation, the illustrations permeated Brazilian culture and printing, reaching a wide audience.  Looking at his effects from a wider scope, media holds great influence on a culture or country. For a country like Brazil with an incredible quantity of racial and cultural diversity, these illustrations are a very narrow and unrealistic representation of the country in the early 20th century.