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In the Northeast of Brazil, both cordel literature and woodcuts play significant cultural roles and are deeply rooted in regional traditions.
This symbiotic relationship between woodcuts and cordel literature not only embellishes the pamphlets, but also amplifies the cultural and educational impact of the stories told.
While cordel texts offer content and narrative, woodcuts provide a visual interpretation that makes the content more accessible and attractive to the public. Together, these forms of expression preserve and transmit the traditions and stories of the region, playing a vital role in maintaining the Northeast’s cultural identity and celebrating popular creativity.
Video about Xylography
Xilogravura - como se faz?
Xilogravura - Literatura de Cordel
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
- Origin 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 narratives about 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: The topics covered range from romances and adventures to social criticisms and accounts of local events. It’s an accessible way of disseminating information and popular culture.
Woodcuts
- Origin and Development: Woodcut printing arrived in Brazil with the Portuguese colonisers 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 onto paper. Woodcuts are recognised 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 Northeast
- Cultural Integration: Cordel literature and woodcuts are inseparable in the context of the Northeast. Cordel pamphlets often use woodcuts to illustrate and enrich the texts, creating a combined art form that reflects the region’s rich cultural tradition.
- Preservation of Traditions: Both forms of expression are fundamental in preserving and transmitting the popular culture of the Northeast. They document stories, myths and aspects of everyday life that could be lost without these records.
- Education and Entertainment: They serve as a means of education and entertainment for the local population, offering an accessible way to learn about the region’s history, culture and social issues.
Examples and Impact
- Famous Artists: Prominent artists in Northeastern woodcut include the renowned woodcutter and cordelist J. Borges, whose work is widely recognised for its technical skill and aesthetic innovation.
- Cultural Events: Fairs and festivals dedicated to cordel literature and woodcuts 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 texts, using a wooden matrix.
The matrix is carved by hand with a burin or other cutting instrument. The high parts that will 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. Egyptians, Indians and Persians used it to print fabrics.
Later, it was used as a stamp on sheets of paper to print Buddhist prayers in China and Japan.
In the West, it began to be used at the end of the Middle Ages (second half of the 14th century), when it was used on playing cards and sacred images.
In the 15th century, wooden planks were engraved with text and images for printing books, which until then had been written and illustrated by hand.
With Gutenberg’s movable type, woodcuts were only used for illustrations.
In Brazil, woodcut printing arrived with the move of the Portuguese Royal Family to Rio de Janeiro.
The first woodcutters appeared after 1808 and spread mainly to the capitals, producing playing cards, illustrations for adverts, books and periodicals, labels, etc.
The first, or oldest, printed cordel pamphlet is by Leandro Gomes de Barros (1865-1918).
Woodcuts were used for a long time to illustrate periodicals such as newspapers.
An example of this is the Jornal Mossoroense (RN). One of the oldest active newspapers in Brazil, it contained woodcuts as vignettes and illustrations, created by its owner João da Escóssia, who is therefore considered to be the first woodcutter from Rio Grande do Norte.
Popular woodcuts from the north-east gained fame for the quality and originality of their artists. Nowadays, many engravers from the northeast sell their loose engravings, as well as continuing to produce illustrations for the covers of cordéis.
Almost all of Brazil’s popular wood engravers, especially in the north-east of the country, come from the cordel.
Among the most important in the Galeria Brasiliana collection 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 his almost 40-year career, J. Borges has written more than 200 cordéis, which, with the exception of his first, were illustrated by himself.
The artist singles out the 1976 engraving ‘A chegada da prostituta no céu’ (The arrival of the prostitute in the sky) as his most famous work. His work depicts the daily life of people in the Northeast, culture and folklore, and the struggle of the people in the sertão. Another frequent theme in J. Borges’ cordel and engravings is the cangaço.
Woodcuts and Cordel Literature: The Art and Popular Tradition of the Northeast
