About this artwork
Despite his position as an atheist, Oscar Niemeyer designed several religious buildings over the course of his career. Three designs of religious buildings depicted here introduced non-traditional and innovative solutions. The un-built mosque in Algiers was designed to rest over the sea with bridge to connect to the shore; the Cathedral for Brasilia took the form of a stylized crown of thorns; and the parabolic structure that formed the church of St. Francis Assisi in Minas Gerais received much criticism for its similarity to a bomb shelter—while construction completed in 1942 it was not until 1959 that the church was consecrated.
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Status
- Currently Off View
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Department
- Architecture and Design
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Artist
- Oscar Niemeyer (Architect)
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Title
- Church Sketches
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Place
- Brazil (Artist's nationality:)
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Date
- 1999
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Medium
- Black marker on tracing paper
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Dimensions
- 50 × 70 cm (19 11/16 × 27 9/16 in.)
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Credit Line
- Gift of Oscar Niemeyer, Fundaçao Oscar Niemeyer
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Reference Number
- 1999.302.3
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.
