- António Pedro
António Pedro da Costa (
Cape Verde , Santiago,Praia ,December 9 ,1909 –Caminha , Moledo,August 17 ,1966 ) was a Portugueseactor ,writer and painter born to a prominent family from theCape Verde Islands , son of José Maria da Costa (b.Lisbon , c. 1870) and wife Elizabeth Savage de Paula Rosa. However his maternal grandmother was Irish and English, and he cited this influence of the "Celtic spirit" as an influence in his work. In addition because his family spoke English, and sent their children to English schools, he was able to work as ajournalist with theBBC after leaving Portugal for political reasons.He was one of the introducers of
Surrealism in Portuguese painting, in the late 1930s. It's official start is set to be the exposition he held, withAntónio Dacosta , inLisbon , in 1940.His painting shows the influence of the great surrealist painters, that he admired, like
Giorgio De Chirico ,Max Ernst andSalvador Dalí . He was a founding member of the Portuguese Surrealist Group, in 1947, but he left painting a little time before.He dedicated himself to
pottery andtheater for the rest of his life.He was also a
Freemason and an active anti-fascist militant.He married Maria Manuela Possante, without issue.
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