A trajetória de Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira, o Tebas: trabalho, escravidão, autonomia e liberdade em São Paulo colonial (1733-1811).
Data
2021-02-22
Autores
Reis, Luis Gustavo 
Tipo
Dissertação de mestrado
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
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Resumo
Este trabalho reconstrói a trajetória de Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira (1733-1811), popularmente conhecido como Tebas. Nascido em Santos, Tebas migrou para São Paulo em um período em que a cidade passava por mudanças administrativas, políticas, econômicas e arquitetônicas que impactaram decisivamente sua vida.
Tebas dominava a técnica de construir edifícios aplicando pedras de cantaria, material que as igrejas em São Paulo começaram a usar em seus frontispícios a partir da segunda metade do século XVIII. Reconhecido por suas habilidades, o mestre de obras trabalhou na torre da antiga Catedral da Sé, reformou o Mosteiro de São Bento, a igreja da Ordem Terceira do Carmo e a fonte de São Francisco. Além de outras obras, foi responsável por construir o primeiro chafariz público de abastecimento de água da cidade: o Chafariz da Misericórdia. É também de sua autoria o Cruzeira Franciscano de Itu, monumento de cerca de 9 metros de altura.
Alguns autores que trabalharam a temática da arquitetura, em São Paulo colonial, alegaram que o peso da influência branca, ou mameluca, foi de tal magnitude que o negro não contribuiu em absolutamente nada na formação arquitetônica do burgo piratiningano. A trajetória de Tebas vai na contramão desse veredito.
Ao ser requisitado para aplicar pedras de cantaria nas fachadas das igrejas, Tebas sabia onde elas poderiam ser encaixadas, o peso que a estrutura suportava, as modificações que poderia fazer sem comprometer os alicerces dos templos. Ao planejar, calcular e executar o serviço, o artífice postulava habilidades complexas adquiridas em diferentes momentos da vida. Tebas dominava não apenas cantaria, mas também a técnica da taipa de pilão demostrando, portanto, que ele e outros artífices negros contribuíram peremptoriamente na arquitetura colonial paulista.
Ao suscitar tais reflexões e ressaltar o protagonismo de pessoas negras invisibilizadas, evidente que o objetivo não é reivindicar exclusividade de determinada técnica construtiva que, em nosso ponto de vista, é fruto do pensar e do fazer de diferentes pessoas e grupos, mas de reconhecer aquelas que foram soterradas por análises que estão tão consolidadas como concreto na parede.
A biografia de Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira funciona como torre privilegiada de observação da sociedade paulista setecentista, caracterizada por distintos territórios culturais e sociais. Este trabalho é uma tentativa de penetrar nesse universo, por isso, mais do que reconstruir a trajetória de Tebas, apresenta um amplo e fascinante panorama social da escravidão negra em São Paulo em meados do século XVIII.
This thesis work rebuilds the trajectory of Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira (1733-1811), as known as Tebas. He was born in Santos and have migrated to São Paulo in times of administrative, political, economic, and architectural São Paulo’s upgrowth, and indeed impacted his life decisively. Tebas mastered the technique for constructing buildings using masonry stones, a material that begins to be used in the second half of the 18th century in churches in São Paulo to construct their frontispieces. Recognized for his skillful technique, the foreman worked on the tower of the old Sé Cathedral, remodeled São Bento Monastery, the church of the Third Carmelite Order and São Francisco fountain. In addition to several other works, he was responsible to building the city's first public supply water fountain: Misericórdia Chafariz. Some authors who worked on the theme of architecture, in colonial São Paulo, claimed that amount of the white influence, or mameluca, was of such magnitude that the black man did not contribute at all in the architectural formation of the Piratiningan village. When asked to apply stonework on the facades of churches, Tebas knew where they could be fitted, the weight that the structure supported, the modifications he could make without compromising the foundations of the temples. The Master of Works mastered not only singing, but also the technique of rammed earth, demonstrating, therefore, that he and other black craftsmen contributed a lot in colonial architecture of São Paulo. It is evident that it is not a question of claiming exclusivity for a certain constructive technique that, in our point of view, is the result of the thinking and doing of different people and groups, but of recognizing those that were buried by analyzes that are as consolidated as concrete in the wall. Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira's biography succeeds as privileged observation tower for 18th century São Paulo society that was characterized by different cultural and social territories. This thesis is an attempt to set foot into this universe; therefore, more than reconstructing Tebas’ trajectory, it presents a very broad and fascinating social panorama of black slavery in São Paulo in the middle of the 18th century.
This thesis work rebuilds the trajectory of Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira (1733-1811), as known as Tebas. He was born in Santos and have migrated to São Paulo in times of administrative, political, economic, and architectural São Paulo’s upgrowth, and indeed impacted his life decisively. Tebas mastered the technique for constructing buildings using masonry stones, a material that begins to be used in the second half of the 18th century in churches in São Paulo to construct their frontispieces. Recognized for his skillful technique, the foreman worked on the tower of the old Sé Cathedral, remodeled São Bento Monastery, the church of the Third Carmelite Order and São Francisco fountain. In addition to several other works, he was responsible to building the city's first public supply water fountain: Misericórdia Chafariz. Some authors who worked on the theme of architecture, in colonial São Paulo, claimed that amount of the white influence, or mameluca, was of such magnitude that the black man did not contribute at all in the architectural formation of the Piratiningan village. When asked to apply stonework on the facades of churches, Tebas knew where they could be fitted, the weight that the structure supported, the modifications he could make without compromising the foundations of the temples. The Master of Works mastered not only singing, but also the technique of rammed earth, demonstrating, therefore, that he and other black craftsmen contributed a lot in colonial architecture of São Paulo. It is evident that it is not a question of claiming exclusivity for a certain constructive technique that, in our point of view, is the result of the thinking and doing of different people and groups, but of recognizing those that were buried by analyzes that are as consolidated as concrete in the wall. Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira's biography succeeds as privileged observation tower for 18th century São Paulo society that was characterized by different cultural and social territories. This thesis is an attempt to set foot into this universe; therefore, more than reconstructing Tebas’ trajectory, it presents a very broad and fascinating social panorama of black slavery in São Paulo in the middle of the 18th century.
Descrição
Citação
Reis, Luis Gustavo. A trajetória de Joaquim Pinto de Oliveira, o Tebas: trabalho, escravidão, autonomia e liberdade em São Paulo colonial (1733-1811). Guarulhos: Escola de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas da Universidade Federal de São Paulo. Dissertação de Mestrado, 2021.