In the painting Three Women, despite the undressed figures, the garments and textiles are the real protagonists. Less evident than the eroticism of the naked bodies is the refinement of textiles that surround and comfort the characters, providing the scene with an extraordinary sense of intimacy and complicity. Maria Auxiliadora da Silva paints like someone who sews. In fact, she worked as a seamstress before she became a painter — the blue and white trimming that crosses one of the dresses, the tight waists and pleats, everything has its own chromatic and tactile value. The women’s skin is painted in different tones. Two of them are relaxing on the bed, naked (with the exception of a single boot), and they seem to be looking directly at the observer. A bra and a dress, in the same red tone as the shoes, rest next to their bodies, suggesting they were recently removed or were about to be worn by the women, who talk about their plans for the night. A conventional femininity is found in the curves, emphasized in the breasts, that are projected to outside the canvas. Auxiliadora illustrates the possibilities available to some women of her time – urban, single, independent females earning their own money. The conversation written in the speech bubbles talks about desire and the freedom to circulate in the city and at night, sparking pleasures and encounters: “— Marilena! Dulcineia! I’m going to the forró dance ball in Brasilândia! Wanna come? — I’m not coming with you, as I have a date with Roberto. It’s almost 5! Ineed to get dressed quick. My love is coming at 5:30! — Let me think, Sarita. Should I go out with you or Paulo Aurélio?” MASP has four works by MariaAuxiliadora in its collection and, in 2018, the museum organized a large retrospective of her oeuvre.

— MASP Curatorial Team, 2020

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