Desenho Sobre A Proclamação Da República

How to Draw the Proclamation of the Republic

I've been sketching historical scenes for a while now, and the Proclamation of the Republic in Brazil on November 15, 1889 is one of the most requested topics. It's also one of the trickier ones to get right because most people have only seen the famous painting by Benedito Caldas Júnior, and they expect your drawing to match it exactly. It doesn't have to, but you should at least understand what you're looking at before you start putting pen to paper.

Basic composition and what matters most in a desenho sobre a proclamação da república

The scene takes place in the Campo de Santana in Rio de Janeiro. Marshal Deodoro da Fonseca stands on a balcony or platform, with the Republic flag being raised. The key figures around him include Benjamin Constant, Quintino Bocaiúva, and other military and political leaders. The atmosphere is tense but relatively calm compared to what happened afterward. Here's the thing most people get wrong: they focus entirely on Deodoro and forget that the moment was as much about the crowd's reaction as the central figures. In my experience, spending time on the expressions and body language of the secondary characters actually makes the whole piece feel more grounded. A lot of the amateur drawings I see online look like a group of soldiers standing around. Once you add some variety in posture and direction of gaze, it immediately reads as a scene instead of a lineup.

Step-by-step approach

Start with a rough block-in. Don't draw individual figures yet. Use simple geometric shapes to establish where everything sits on the page. The balcony or platform should be a rectangle near the center-top area. Deodoro goes slightly off-center, not perfectly in the middle. That's a common mistake. Historical accuracy doesn't demand perfect symmetry, and off-center placement looks more natural. Once the masses are down, refine the main figures. Deodoro is the focal point, so he gets the most detail. He should be shown in military uniform from that period, which means a double-breasted coat with epaulets, a high collar, and a bicorne or kepi hat depending on your reference. The Republic flag is green with a blue circle and the white band with the motto "Ordem e Progresso." Get the proportions of that flag right. Beginners often make the blue circle too small or position it incorrectly.

The secondary figures around Deodoro need less detail but should have distinct silhouettes. Benjamin Constant was shorter and stockier. Quintino Bocaiúva was taller and leaner. You don't need portraits, but a slight variation in body shape helps the viewer distinguish them without labels. I learned this the hard way when I submitted a drawing to a school project once and got comments that all the figures looked identical. I went back and adjusted the head sizes and shoulder widths, which took about twenty minutes and completely changed the quality of the piece.

Common pitfalls I've noticed

First, the uniform details. The Brazilian military uniforms of 1889 had very specific elements. The pants had a stripe down the side. The boots were tall and laced. Getting these details roughly correct signals to anyone who knows the period that you did your homework. Skipping them makes the drawing look generic, like any military scene from any era. Second, the background. Many people draw only the central figures and leave the background blank or add generic trees. The Campo de Santana had some notable features. There were buildings nearby, including the Teatro São Pedro. You don't need to render all of that, but adding a skyline or at least some architectural suggestion grounds the scene in its actual location. A simple line for the horizon with a few building shapes takes another fifteen minutes and makes a real difference.

Third, the flag. The original flag used in 1889 was different from the modern Brazilian flag. It had thirteen stars instead of twenty-seven, representing the provinces. If you want accuracy, use the old design. If this is just a school assignment and the teacher won't notice, the modern flag is fine. But if someone who knows history looks at it, the star count matters.

Tools and materials

Graphite pencils from HB to 4B work fine for a preliminary sketch. I usually start with an H or HB and switch to a 2B or 4B for the final lines. For ink, a fine liner like a Pigma Micron 05 is reliable. Washable markers can work if you're doing a quick classroom drawing, but they don't give you the control that a pen does. If you're working digitally, a basic program like MS Paint or Paintbrush is actually sufficient for this type of drawing. You don't need advanced software. The complexity of the subject doesn't require layer management or blending modes. Just keep your brush size flexible and use a reference image open on another monitor or printed on paper beside you.

Where to find references

The painting by Benedito Caldas Júnior is the most accessible reference and is in the public domain. You can find it on the website of the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes in Rio de Janeiro or on Wikimedia Commons. Search for "Proclamação da República Benedito Caldas Júnior" and you'll get high-resolution versions. There are also photographs from the period, though they're less useful for drawing because they capture the aftermath rather than the exact moment. Another good reference is the by João do Rio, which shows a more simplified but accurate composition. It's less detailed than Caldas Júnior's painting but better for understanding the basic layout if you're a beginner.

A note on artistic freedom

You don't need to copy Caldas Júnior's painting exactly. The point of a desenho sobre a proclamação da república is to show your understanding of the event, not to reproduce someone else's artwork. A simplified version with accurate proportions and key details is better than a heavily traced copy that looks stiff and lifeless. Your teacher or audience will notice the difference even if they can't articulate why. One more thing. Don't overcomplicate the faces. Unless you're specifically working on portraiture, stylized or simplified facial features are fine. The expression should convey gravity and importance, but you don't need photorealistic faces. A few well-placed lines for eyes and mouth can convey the right mood without requiring hours of work on something that will be half the size of your page anyway.

If you get stuck on a particular figure, step back and look at the overall composition before adding more detail. That's the single most effective habit I've developed over years of drawing historical scenes. It keeps the piece from becoming a collection of isolated details that don't relate to each other visually.