On April 7, 1921, the journalist Joaquim Manso (1878-1956) founded the daily Diário de Lisboa, which would become the main vehicle of modernist ideas and authors in the Portuguese periodical press of the 1920s. Almada Negreiros’ extensive and lasting collaboration started in the first number. This representation of an American sailor is one of a series of four drawings published in the Diário de Lisboa on July 23, 1921. These drawings all have an original signature, in which the stem of the ‘d’ in Almada extends into an American flag, and share a common subject: the Portuguese-American relationships and, particularly, the increasing presence of American sailors in Lisbon. The present drawing and two others illustrated an article by Sarmento Duque whose main subjects may elucidate the imaginary associated with this theme: ‘On the eve of departure. American sailors. Lightweight concepts on heavy people. The sailors and the winery crisis. American-style love. Lili’s opinion.’ The fourth drawing was published with the caption ‘The Americans’.

SAF

May 2010