In the Northeast of Brazil, both cordel literature and woodcuts play an important cultural role and are deeply rooted in regional traditions.

This symbiotic relationship between woodcuts and cordel literature not only embellishes the pamphlets, but also enhances the cultural and educational impact of the stories told.

While cordel texts provide content and narrative, woodcuts provide a visual interpretation that makes the content more accessible and appealing to the public. Together, these forms of expression preserve and transmit the traditions and stories of the region, playing a vital role in preserving the North East cultural identity and celebrating popular creativity.

Video about Xylography

Link

Embed

Copy and paste this HTML code into your webpage to embed.

Xilogravura - como se faz?

Xilogravura - Literatura de Cordel05:14

Xilogravura - Cordel07:40

Xilogravura - Ferramentas13:26

Impressão em xilogravura na madeira

Let’s explore how these two forms of artistic expression intertwine and influence Northeastern culture:

Cordel Literature

• Origins and development: Cordel literature has its roots in the popular traditions of the Northeast, with influences from European and African poems and stories. It emerged in a more structured form in Brazil in the 19th century and became one of the main forms of popular expression in the region.
• Characteristics: Written in rhymed and metrical verse, cordel literature is known for its tales of heroism, legends, historical events, and social issues. The texts are often printed in pamphlets, hung on strings (hence the name “cordel”) and sold at fairs and markets.
• Themes: Topics range from romance and adventure to social criticism and accounts of local events. It’s an accessible way to spread information and popular culture.

Woodcuts

• Origin and development: Woodblock printmaking arrived in Brazil with the Portuguese colonists and was adapted by artists from the northeast to illustrate cordel literature. This engraving technique is widely used to create illustrations that accompany the verses of cordel pamphlets.
• Characteristics: It consists of carving images into a wooden plate, which is then inked and printed on paper. Woodblock prints are known for their distinctive graphic style and their often detailed and expressive images.
• Themes: The illustrations often depict scenes from the cordel texts, such as folkloric figures, battles and historical events, as well as decorative elements that embellish the pamphlets.

Relationship and Impact in the North East

• Cultural Integration: Cordel literature and woodcuts are inextricably linked in the context of the Northeast. Cordel pamphlets often use woodcuts to illustrate and enrich the text, creating a combined art form that reflects the region’s rich cultural tradition.
• Preserving traditions: Both forms of expression are fundamental to the preservation and transmission of popular culture in the North East. They document stories, myths and aspects of everyday life that might otherwise be lost.
• Education and entertainment: They serve as a means of education and entertainment for the local population, providing an accessible way to learn about the history, culture and social issues of the region.

Examples and impact

• Famous artists: Prominent artists of the Northeast woodcut include the renowned woodcutter and engraver J. Borges, whose work is widely recognised for its technical skill and aesthetic innovation.
• Cultural Events: Fairs and festivals dedicated to cordel literature and woodblock printing are common in the Northeast, celebrating and promoting these traditions.

These forms of expression not only enrich the cultural life of the Northeast, but also play a vital role in shaping regional identity and perpetuating its unique traditions.

History of woodcuts

Xylography is a technique for reproducing images, and also text, using a wooden matrix.

The matrix is carved by hand with a burin or other cutting instrument. The high parts that receive the ink are the ones that will print the image on the paper.

The oldest engraving was found in China, it was a prayer and dates back to 868. The Egyptians, Indians and Persians used it to print cloth.

Later it was used as a stamp on sheets of paper to print Buddhist prayers in China and Japan.

Its use in the West began at the end of the Middle Ages (second half of the 14th century), when it was used on playing cards and holy images.

In the 15th century, wooden planks were engraved with text and images to print books that had previously been written and illustrated by hand.

With Gutenberg’s movable type, woodcuts were used only for illustrations.

In Brazil, woodblock printing arrived with the move of the Portuguese royal family to Rio de Janeiro.

The first wood engravers appeared after 1808 and spread mainly to the capitals, producing playing cards, illustrations for advertisements, books and magazines, labels, etc.

The first or oldest printed woodcut pamphlet is by Leandro Gomes de Barros (1865-1918).

Woodcuts have long been used to illustrate periodicals such as newspapers.

One example is the Jornal Mossoroense (RN). One of the oldest active newspapers in Brazil, it featured woodcuts as vignettes and illustrations by its owner, João da Escóssia, who is therefore considered the first woodcut artist from Rio Grande do Norte.

Popular woodcuts from the Northeast became famous for the quality and originality of their artists. Today, many engravers from the Northeast sell their loose engravings and continue to produce illustrations for cordel covers.

Almost all of Brazil’s popular wood engravers, especially in the Northeast, come from the cordel.

Among the most important in the collection of the Galeria Brasiliana are Abraão Batista, José Costa Leite, J. Borges, Amaro Francisco, José Lourenço and Gilvan Samico.

José Francisco Borges, considered one of the most important names in Brazilian popular engraving, made his first woodcut for the pamphlet “O Verdadeiro aviso de Frei Damião (sobre os castigos que vêm)”, also by him.

In a career spanning almost 40 years, J. Borges wrote more than 200 cordéis, all of which he illustrated himself, with the exception of the first.

The artist singled out the 1976 engraving “A chegada da prostituta no céu” (The Arrival of the Prostitute in Heaven) as his most famous work. His work depicts the daily life of the people of the Northeast, their culture and folklore, and the struggle of the people of the Sertão. Another frequent theme in J. Borges’ woodcuts and prints is the cangaço.

Woodcuts and Cordel Literature: The Art and Popular Tradition of the Northeast

This post is also on: Português English Deutsch Español Français