ARCHIVES, SOURCES AND GAPS ON THE WOMEN’S HISTORY:

THE CASE OF PAINTER NICOTA BAYEUX

Abstract

Studying female artists who produced their works in the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century poses different challenges to historians. Labeled as amateurs, many were not recognized by the artistic canon and consequently had the traces of their trajectories ignored by archives and often lost with the passage of time. Aware of these challenges, this article focuses on the case of São Paulo-based painter Nicota Bayeux (1870-1923). We will address the obstacles found while studying her trajectory and the alternatives sought to partially fill in the gaps left by the lack of documentation and fragmentation of sources. Additionally, our study highlights the discovery of an important document prepared by the artist: her personal journal.