Nowadays, it is familiar to feel the immediate urge to share a post, video, or image that reaches us through social media, significant for whatever reason. It becomes irresistible to engage in this digital age phenomenon when almost everything goes viral on a global scale.
However, with the appropriate distances and proportions, an out-of-the-box printed publication, pulling us out of our comfort zone, like a stone thrown in a pond, stirring controversy, sparking discussion, and challenging a particular status quo, could happen in the distant early 20th century! And all this without any internet connection!
During that era, newspapers were the primary means of disseminating information and news. Yet, it was in the format of the printed magazines, better suited to a specific and in-depth approach to topics due to their less frequent periodicity, that a group of young writers and artists —such as Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935), Mário de Sá-Carneiro (1890–1916), Almada Negreiros (1893–1970), among others — managed to draw attention to themselves: to their works and to the subject of modernity and avant-gardism, in contrast to the predominant vision of the time, which was more focused on the past.
Top row (from left to right): Fernando Pessoa (1888–1935), Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso (1887–1918), Almada Negreiros (1893–1970), Santa-Rita Pintor (1889–1918). Bottom row (from left to right): José Pacheco (1885–1934), Luís de Montalvor (1891–1947), Mário de Sá-Carneiro (1890–1916), Alfredo Pedro Guisado (1891–1975). Source: Wikimedia Commons.
This occurred in Portugal in March 1915, with the launch of the magazine Orpheu, which introduced innovations both in form and style in the artistic and literary fields, causing shockwaves and scandal through the press of the time. Despite its short lifespan, with only two issues, it was so impactful that to this day we still refer to the entire modernist movement in Portugal as the Geração d’Orpheu (Orpheu’s Generation).
Covers of the magazine Orpheu, No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Source: Pinterest.
Besides the artistic value of the presented content, it is noteworthy that this moment was contemporary with various similar movements across Europe, particularly in Paris.
Magazines thus became, in the early 20th century, one of the preferred vehicles for the modernist movement in Portugal, focusing not only on the literary aspect but also on graphic illustration.
Following the path paved by Orpheu, other magazines emerged, such as Sphinx, launched in 1917. While not exactly a model of rupture, it presented a format that included, besides literary and graphic illustration content, advertising! Notable multidisciplinary figures such as Leitão de Barros (1896–1967) and Cottinelli Telmo (1897–1948) stood out in its pages.
Covers of the magazine Sphinx, No. 1 and No. 2, respectively. Source: MODERNISMO - Virtual Archive of the Orpheu's Generation.
Ten years after the Orpheu magazine, in 1924, Athena emerged, which, with a longer lifespan than its predecessor, involved some of the same contributors, such as Fernando Pessoa, introducing for the first time the names of Ricardo Reis and Alberto Caeiro. It also gave more prominence to the visual arts and architecture, under the direction of Ruy Vaz (1891–1955).
Covers of the magazine Athena, No. 1 through No. 5. Source: MODERNISMO - Virtual Archive of the Orpheu's Generation.
These are just a few of the various magazines that emerged during the birth (and life) of the Modernist movement in Portugal. All are different, yet all share a common purpose — to promote a theme, an artist, or a movement, illuminating a piece of work or a work of art. We then developed pieces that have the same objective in this respect: to focus and highlight artistic creations. We're talking about our Picture Lights from the Geração d'Orpheu collection!
Picture lights Sphinx (left), Athena (top right corner), and Orpheu (top left corner), in Frontier Blue with Brushed Brass finish. © After Hall 2024
We also deemed them worthy to receive names alluding to some of those magazines, not only because they fulfil that common role brilliantly but also because they exhibit a design that embodies modernist principles, in their lack of ornamentation, simplicity of lines, and use of natural metal finishes, combined with period-appropriate tones. And of course, to bring to light these examples of a movement that has left its mark on our culture.
Available finishes: Frontier Blue with Brushed Brass (top left corner), Cordovil with Brushed Nickel (centre of the first row), Antique Brass (right), Brushed Nickel (bottom left corner), Porto with Brushed Brass (centre of the second row). © After Hall 2024
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Cover photo: Almada Negreiros, [1954], FGG /DEP-AN. Source: MODERNISMO - Virtual Archive of the Orpheu's Generation..