Siron Franco (Brazilian, b.1947) A Cobra Faz o Perfil (The Snake Makes the Profile)
signed and dated 'SIRON 86' (lower left); further signed and titled 'SIRON/A Cobra/Faz/o Perfil' (verso) oil on canvas Unframed: 135.3 x 153.5 cm. (53 1/4 x 60 3/8 in.) Framed: 143 x 161 cm. (56 1/4 x 63 3/8 in.)Provenance: The artist, from whom acquired by the family of the present ownerNotes: Gessiron Alves de Franco, known universally as Siron Franco, is a definitive figure in contemporary Latin American art, recognised for his intense socio-political commitment. Raised in Goiânia, his visual language was profoundly shaped by the vibrant yet threatened Brazilian landscape, allowing him to bridge personal memory with sweeping cultural commentary. While Franco is traditionally celebrated for works defined by sombre, earthy palettes and heavy, brooding atmospheres, A Cobra Faz o Perfil marks a striking stylistic departure. Abandoning his usual tonal weight, this atypical composition embraces a flat, boldly saturated visual plane. Set against an unyielding, luminous orange background, the winding form of a snake dominates the canvas, its body articulated through rhythmic bands of red, pink, and white. This central motif is a direct nod to Franco’s enduring environmental advocacy for the Brazilian Cerrado, the native savannah biome of his home state. Serving as a deliberate ecological protest against deforestation and unchecked urbanisation, the painting aligns with his broader, globally recognised activism. This commitment extends beyond the canvas, most notably through his Peace Monument for the 1992 Earth Summit (Rio-92) and his striking installations for the Rio+20 conference that confronted criminal fires in the savannah. By replacing the dense, painterly textures characteristic of his broader oeuvre with urgent, graphic clarity, Franco presents the vibrant serpent not merely as a formal experiment. It stands as a potent emblem of ecological preservation, compelling viewers to confront the fragile vitality of Brazil's natural world.
[ translate ]signed and dated 'SIRON 86' (lower left); further signed and titled 'SIRON/A Cobra/Faz/o Perfil' (verso) oil on canvas Unframed: 135.3 x 153.5 cm. (53 1/4 x 60 3/8 in.) Framed: 143 x 161 cm. (56 1/4 x 63 3/8 in.)Provenance: The artist, from whom acquired by the family of the present ownerNotes: Gessiron Alves de Franco, known universally as Siron Franco, is a definitive figure in contemporary Latin American art, recognised for his intense socio-political commitment. Raised in Goiânia, his visual language was profoundly shaped by the vibrant yet threatened Brazilian landscape, allowing him to bridge personal memory with sweeping cultural commentary. While Franco is traditionally celebrated for works defined by sombre, earthy palettes and heavy, brooding atmospheres, A Cobra Faz o Perfil marks a striking stylistic departure. Abandoning his usual tonal weight, this atypical composition embraces a flat, boldly saturated visual plane. Set against an unyielding, luminous orange background, the winding form of a snake dominates the canvas, its body articulated through rhythmic bands of red, pink, and white. This central motif is a direct nod to Franco’s enduring environmental advocacy for the Brazilian Cerrado, the native savannah biome of his home state. Serving as a deliberate ecological protest against deforestation and unchecked urbanisation, the painting aligns with his broader, globally recognised activism. This commitment extends beyond the canvas, most notably through his Peace Monument for the 1992 Earth Summit (Rio-92) and his striking installations for the Rio+20 conference that confronted criminal fires in the savannah. By replacing the dense, painterly textures characteristic of his broader oeuvre with urgent, graphic clarity, Franco presents the vibrant serpent not merely as a formal experiment. It stands as a potent emblem of ecological preservation, compelling viewers to confront the fragile vitality of Brazil's natural world.
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