The 1950s represent a decisive period in the artistic evolution of Manuel Pereira da Silva. Although he never completely abandoned figuration, it was during this phase that the sculptor developed a more synthetic and experimental language, approaching the abstract currents that marked the renewal of European sculpture in the post-war period.
His abstract sculptures do not constitute a radical break with the representation of reality; rather, they reveal a gradual process of formal purification, in which the human figure, nature, and organic volumes are reduced to their essential structures.
Historical and Artistic Context
In the 1950s, European art was deeply marked by the transformations brought about by the Second World War. Many artists sought to overcome traditional academic models and explore new relationships between form, matter, and space.
In Portugal, the reception of these trends was slower. The cultural environment remained relatively conservative, which makes the experience of Manuel Pereira da Silva particularly relevant. Contact with European artistic centers, especially Paris, allowed him to closely observe the formal investigations developed by sculptors such as Constantin Brâncuși, Henry Moore, and Jean Arp.
The influence of these artists is mainly manifested in the simplification of forms and the valorization of the autonomy of sculpture as a plastic object.
Abstraction as Synthesis
Abstraction in Manuel Pereira da Silva's work is neither geometric nor rationalist. It is an organic abstraction.
The forms seem to emerge from natural processes of growth and transformation. Even when the figurative reference disappears, suggestions of bodies, seeds, living organisms, or developing structures remain.
This characteristic distinguishes his work from the more strictly geometric trends that were emerging at the same time.
In the abstract sculptures of the 1950s, one observes:
• rounded volumes;
• continuous surfaces;
• absence of descriptive detail;
• structural simplification;
• balance between mass and void;
• strong sense of formal unity.
The work ceases to represent something concrete and instead suggests sensations, rhythms, and energies.
The importance of volume
One of the central aspects of his abstract production is the investigation of volume.
Sculpture is not just conceived as a solid object. The space that surrounds it becomes an integral part of the composition.
The shapes are constructed to create tensions between:
• interior and exterior;
• full and empty;
• stability and movement;
• weight and lightness.
This concern brings the sculptor closer to the main international trends in modern sculpture.
By circulating the pieces, the observer discovers new formal relationships. The work does not have a single privileged point of view; develops three-dimensionally.
Matter and expression
Bronze, stone and other materials used by Manuel Pereira da Silva play a fundamental expressive role.
Surfaces often have a treatment that shows:
• texture;
• incidence of light;
• contrast between smooth and rough areas;
• appreciation of matter as an aesthetic element.
The matter stops being a mere support for representation and becomes part of the meaning of the work.
This material valorization corresponds to an international trend in modern sculpture, which sought to assert the autonomy of sculptural means.
Hidden Humanism
Despite the abstract nature of these sculptures, there is a strong humanist dimension to them.
Abstraction does not lead to coldness or depersonalization. On the contrary, the organic forms often evoke:
• growth;
• protection;
• fertility;
• vital movement;
• fundamental human relationships.
Even when the human figure is no longer identifiable, it is still present as an implicit reference.
This permanence of the human constitutes one of the most original characteristics of his abstract production.
Limits and Originality
From a critical point of view, it can be stated that Manuel Pereira da Silva did not seek a radical abstraction comparable to that of some more experimental international sculptors.
His language always maintains a connection with the visible world and human experience.
For some critics, this intermediate position may seem less innovative. However, it is precisely this ability to reconcile modernity and tradition that gives his work its uniqueness.
In a Portuguese context still marked by academicism, his abstract sculptures represented an important contribution to the renewal of the national sculptural language.
Conclusion
Manuel Pereira da Silva's abstract sculptures from the 1950s constitute a fundamental moment in the modernization of Portuguese sculpture. Through the simplification of forms, the valorization of volume, and the exploration of space, the artist developed his own language that dialogues with major international currents without losing its identity.
His abstraction is essentially organic and humanist: it does not seek to distance itself from reality, but to reveal the deep structures of life and human experience. For this reason, these works continue to be understood as one of the most significant contributions to the affirmation of modern sculpture in Portugal.
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