Facing some doubts about his paintings, which according to some critics were imitations of the great Batista da Costa paintings, Walter Feder, the well known landscapes painter, gave us an interview at one of the rooms of the National Museum of Fine Arts. Before we started the interview, Walter Feder did not hide his amazement concerning all the hype generated by his paintings. Despite all this, he did not hesitate to talk with The Radical, showing confidence in the success of his first exhibition;

- It is my first exhibition because I never had enough courage to fill a room with a lot of paintings, and if it wasn’t for Oswaldo Teixeira, I confess that I would not think about it any time soon.

But the painter of  “August Petit” and “Venus Loura” (Blonde Venus) did not want it this way, and did not follow the sad advice given by the famous Degas: “Il faut decorrager les artistes…”

- The director of the National Museum of Fine Arts always encouraged me a lot, and I am forever grateful to him, otherwise I for sure would not be showing my work so bravely. I was always apprehensive when it comes to confront the critics and to be judged by my colleagues, because I am conscious I chose a serious, very long and difficult career.

Professional Artist.

Continuing the interview, we asked if he lived only on his paintings (if he maintained himself only with them), and the answer was immediate;

- Yes, I always fought hard, the brushes are the spears and the palette is my shield. The life of an artist in Brazil is a fight, an intense battle, and our artists have a lot of scars to show; a lot of blood from the spirit has been shed in the name of beauty.

The Classics.

-Who are the artists that you truly admire?

Answering the question, Walter Feder touched the main aspect of his interview, clearing the doubts. Here are the words of the young painter;

-Naturally, the classics are the best in my opinion. I do not understand the so called Modern Art, that’s why I do not follow its theories and its doctrinators. Batista da Costa is the painter that I really admire, I consider him our number 1, the best landscape painter in Brazil. In my opinion he is the one who best understood the Brazilian land. I declare that my sensitivity is directed towards his paintings. I do not intentionally try to copy him, but I instinctively follow his style, it’s natural I would say. They can accuse me of similarities, but I do not care; I take it as a compliment.

When I paint, I try to portray the nature in the same way it shows itself, without the diaphanous veil of fantasy, though. I like paintings with drawings and color, in a way that there is no need for the artist to explain his work. “The painting is like a defendant. He should be the first to speak”, as the old Ruskin skillfully said.

Walter Feder and wife Cyrene.

Feder’s exhibition at the National Museum of Fine Arts.

Feder sitting.