VISUAL CULTURE, HISTORY AND IMAGE: THE WAR AGAINST PARAGUAY

 DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.18175440

 

Álvaro Saluan da Cunha

Postdoctoral researcher in History at the Federal Fluminense University, elementary school teacher at the Juiz de Fora City Hall. Email: asaluan@hotmail.com

ABSTRACT

The War against Paraguay (1864–1870), the largest armed conflict in 19th-century South America, extended beyond the battlefield into the media sphere, particularly through the illustrated Brazilian press. This study investigates the visual representations of the war produced by illustrators such as Henrique Fleiuss and Angelo Agostini. Their engravings, published in periodicals like Semana Illustrada and A Vida Fluminense, either reinforced patriotic ideals of the Empire or denounced the horrors of war. Through iconographic analysis, cross-referenced with historical, the Quadros Históricos da Guerra do Paraguai collection, and recent historiography, the research reveals how these images shaped public perceptions and contributed to symbolic documents disputes over the memory of the conflict. The 19th-century press thus became a site for the construction and contestation of meaning, where war was drawn, interpreted, and commodified for a visually eager readership.

Keywords: War against Paraguay; Illustrated press; Henrique Fleiuss; Angelo Agostini; Historical paintings.