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U.Porto Memory

University of Porto Famous Alumni

Eduardo Malta

Eduardo Malta 1900-1967 Painter and writer

(...)"I was born in Covilhã, but my paternal grandfather, my mother and all her relatives were from Porto … Because of the contexts my
predecessors lived in, which I inherited through my blood so I could live them too, and because of the sound beauty of the city that
embraces me, I feel as if I was born here, a true living being from Porto"
(Eduardo Malta, Do meu ofício é pintar, 1935)

Eduardo Malta was born at São João Square, in Covilhã, on 28 October 1900. The son of Manuel Morais, he was a relative of the sculptor Manuel Morais and of the writer Raul Brandão.

His artistic talent was revealed during his childhood. At the age of 4, he drew amazingly and at 9 copied, to perfection, postage stamps. It only came natural that after completing primary school in Covilhã he enrolled at the age of 10 in the Porto Fine Arts School, defying his father’s wish as he wanted him to study medicine. He nevertheless followed his true calling.

He remained at ESBAP for the seven subsequent years, and was taught, among others, by the naturalist painter Marques de Oliveira (1853-1927).

Throughout his career he painted portraits of politicians, members of the high society and of the arts, of Portugal, Spain and Brazil, and also simple folk. Some of his portraits are famous: António de Oliveira Salazar, the President of the Republic Craveiro Lopes, Cardinal Cerejeira, the poet Teixeira de Pacoaes, the writer Aquilino Ribeiro, the banker and art collector Ricardo do Espírito Santo Silva, the fado singer Amália, the Spanish dictator General Primo de Rivera (portrayed on a horse), which was praised by the critics in Madrid and earned him international merit, and of the Brazilian President Getúlio Vargas.

Along with contemporary fellow painter Henrique Medina (1901-1989), he shared the epithet of "portrait painter of the regime"; he did, however, produce other types of works, for example studies of nude figures (drawings and paintings), illustrations and drawings for books (by Henrique Galvão, Augusto de Santa Rita, João de Vasconcellos e Sá, etc.), for the newspaper "O Século" and also theatre décors for the play "O País da Guedelha" (1921), written by the journalist Mário Quintela (1872-1956), as well as décor maquettes for Rey Colaço Robles Monteiro Theatre Company, between 1927 and 1940.
He exhibited his work in Lisbon, Madrid, Paris, London and Rio de Janeiro. He was a member of the Academy of Fine Arts and a corresponding member of the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando, Madrid.

Eduardo Malta also wrote novels and books on art: he was also a sculptor, actor, lecturer, writer of radio chronicles and collaborated in Portuguese and foreign periodicals.
He was not an easy man, involving himself in several controversies in the artistic milieu. In 1952, during the selection of the jury to choose works to be presented at the Spring Salon, Malta unfairly accused José Dias Coelho (1923-1961) of dishonest conduct, an episode which led to him being expelled from the National Society of Fine Arts and the temporary closing of the institution. Seven years later, in 1959, when he was appointed Director of the National Museum of Contemporary Art (1959-1967), replacing the sculptor Diogo de Macedo, he faced strident protests from artists and art critics.

In the early 60s, he bought the Praça de Santa Maria Manor-House (also known as the Brito Pegada Manor-House) in the centre of Óbidos in a public auction, a building in the Mannerist style, refurbished after the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, as a present to his wife Dulce, and which he later restored it so they could live in it.
This conservative and scholar died on 30 May 1967 in his house in Óbidos, which today is the municipal museum.
(Universidade Digital / Gestão de Informação, 2009)