Saturday, July 25, 2009

The evening tram / O eléctrico do fim-de-tarde


I'm not from the days when trams linked some few suburbs to the centre of Porto, my native city, through long routes, since it all disappeared when I was about two years old. In the suburbs themselves, today visually chaotic and dense, the rural world was still a strong presence, today being almost residual. All this is however in my imaginarium, and a return to home after a working day forty or fifty years ago should not be very different from what you see here ...
Today, in the city centre, when I see these vehicles with its carved fine woods, ornaments, cane rattan seats, brass handles, now with a mainly touristic function, it's hard for me to believe that for many decades they were the daily and tireless transport of many workers.
Não sou do tempo em que os eléctricos ligavam alguns subúrbios ao centro do Porto, minha cidade natal, através de extensas linhas, uma vez que isso tudo desapareceu quando tinha uns dois anos de idade. Nos próprios subúrbios, hoje em dia visualmente caóticos e densos, o mundo rural ainda marcava forte presença, sendo hoje praticamente residual. Tudo isso existe contudo no meu imaginário, e um regresso a casa ao fim de um dia de trabalho há quarenta ou cinquenta anos não devia ser muito diferente do que aqui se vê...
Quando hoje, no centro da cidade, vejo passar estes veículos com as suas belas madeiras trabalhadas, ornamentos, bancos de palhinha, pegas em latão, agora com uma função essencialmente turística, custa-me a acreditar que já foram, por muitas décadas, o transporte diário e incansável de muitos trabalhadores.
Fabriano rough 7"x5" - 140lb (18x12,5cm - 300g/m2) paper
On my Etsy shop: Click here / Na minha loja Etsy: Clique aqui

8 comments:

Melody Lea Lamb said...

Charming and wonderful as always!!

Paulo J. Mendes said...

Thanks so much, Melody :))

Unknown said...

This is a unique perspective for you Paulo. I like the bird's eye view. It's beautiful!

GlorV1 said...

Paulo, well said. All your paintings have such wonderful stories that I get lost in them. I find myself a part of your painting whenever I come here. Thank you so much. Have a great Sunday.

Paulo J. Mendes said...

Sheila and Gloria, glad you enjoyed this small tram ride from the past. Wish you both a great Sunday, too :)

Stephen Dell'Aria said...

This has all the feel of the hours after work. The people going about their routines and the setting sunlight. Nice painting.

Julio Rodrigues said...

Tenho que comentar sobre a qualidade da luz vespertina...esta' fantastica.
Anuncia claramente a eminente chegada do lusco-fusco.

Paulo J. Mendes said...

Thanks, Stephen and Villager. There's something really beautiful in the last moments of light on these Summer days... Maybe coming back to this in the future.