The Liberation of Slaves

The Liberation of Slaves, dated 1889, is an oil on canvas painting by the Brazilian painter and draftsman Pedro Américo. The work portrays the transition period between the Empire and the advent of the Republic from the historical event of the Abolition of Slavery in Brazil. The painting resembles a sketch, because in the same period in which the artist began the work, the event of the proclamation of the Republic had changed its focus. The main scene is in the allegory of Slavery, depicted in the image of a dead demon, next to Liberty, depicted in the figure of a woman. The composition thus symbolizes the death of misfortunes derived from slavery.