Por fim, o manifesto estabelece um horizonte grandioso: o cinema deve ser o veículo da “arte total”, aquela síntese absoluta para a qual todas as outras artes sempre tenderam. “Necessitamos do Cinema para criar a arte total”, afirma Canudo.
, is the foundational text that established cinema as the "Seventh Art." Canudo argued that cinema was a "plastic art in motion," a synthesis of the spatial and temporal arts that preceded it. Core Philosophy: Cinema as Synthesis
This 1911 essay, which is now available in an integral Portuguese translation titled "O Nascimento de uma Sexta Arte" on platforms like Academia.edu, provided the foundational arguments that he would later refine.
The "Manifesto of the Seven Arts" had a profound impact on the development of modern art and cinema. Canudo's ideas influenced a generation of artists, filmmakers, and intellectuals, including the likes of Sergei Eisenstein, Luis Buñuel, and Salvador Dalí. Manifesto Das Sete Artes Ricciotto Canudo.pdf
Ricciotto Canudo's early 20th-century manifesto defined cinema as the "Seventh Art," a synthesis of architecture, sculpture, painting, music, poetry, and dance. This framework bridged the gap between spatial and temporal arts, establishing film as a unique artistic medium rather than mere commercial entertainment. A detailed academic analysis of these theories can be found in the University of Lisbon repository at A fábrica de imagens: o cinema como arte plástica e rítmica .
Ricciotto Canudo’s "Manifesto das Sete Artes" (originally titled La Naissance d’un Sixième Art or The Birth of a Sixth Art ) is considered the foundational text of film theory. Written in 1911 and republished as a manifesto in 1923, it was the first document to argue that Cinema was not merely a technological curiosity or a commercial entertainment, but a distinct and legitimate art form. Canudo posits that Cinema acts as a "superb conciliation" of the traditional arts, uniquely capable of merging the spatial arts (sculpture, painting, architecture) with the temporal arts (music, poetry, dance), thereby earning its place as the Seventh Art.
The "Manifesto das Sete Artes" was first published in the French journal "L'Occident" in 1912. Canudo's manifesto was a passionate and provocative call to arms, aimed at challenging the conventional norms of art and culture. The document outlined Canudo's vision for a new, integrated art form that would bring together seven distinct disciplines: architecture, sculpture, painting, music, poetry, dance, and cinema. Por fim, o manifesto estabelece um horizonte grandioso:
Canudo organized the arts into two distinct categories, which he believed cinema perfectly united: Rhythms of Time (Rhythmic Arts) 1. Architecture 2. Sculpture 5. Poetry / Literature 3. Painting
A data exata da primeira divulgação pública das ideias do manifesto é alvo de alguma controvérsia acadêmica. Alguns registros apontam que Canudo já havia apresentado a “Teoria das Sete Artes” em 1919, em uma palestra no Quartier Latin. Contudo, a consagração veio com a publicação no periódico La Gazette des sept arts , e a edição que se tornou canônica é a de 1923, amplamente reproduzida e citada em manuais de teoria do cinema.
Canudo’s work sought to elevate film from a mere scientific novelty or commercial entertainment into a respected aesthetic discipline that synthesized all previous forms of human expression. Core Philosophy: Cinema as Synthesis This 1911 essay,
In his seminal 1923 Manifesto of the Seven Arts , Ricciotto Canudo defined cinema as a "total art" and "plastic art in motion," synthesizing the spatial arts (architecture, sculpture, painting) with rhythmic arts (music, poetry, dance). By reconciling these forms, Canudo moved beyond viewing film as a mere spectacle, positioning it as the supreme seventh art. Learn more about the history of the seven arts on Medium .
Cinema’s essence is the rhythm of light and movement on screen, which he saw as the purest expression of modern life.
Estas três artes — Poesia, Música e Dança — são as artes do tempo. Elas realizam-se no tempo, e não no espaço. São dinâmicas.