Art, museums, historic sites, and gastronomy are among the tourist attractions of the Recôncavo Baiano region.
One of the most famous names in local art, Hansen Bahia (1915-1978) was not born in Brazil, but settled in the region and left his legacy (both in works and in disciples) to the cities of São Félix and Cachoeira.
His house in São Félix, where the German artist lived with his wife and visual artist Ilse Hansen, is a landmark of the region's art circuit. There are exhibits of engravings, oil paintings, illustrated books and sculptures made by the couple. Visiting is free.
Another part of his work can be seen at the headquarters of the Hansen Bahia Foundation, in the center of Cachoeira, where works by local artists are also exhibited.
Karl Heins Hansen was born in 1915 in Hamburg. He was a sailor, soldier, illustrator, and printmaker. Like many foreigners, he was captured by the axé of Bahia and Afro-Brazilian culture, which he portrayed.
He adopted the artistic name of Hansen Bahia. He illustrated the daily life of Salvador's inhabitants to the poem "Navio Negreiro", by Castro Alves - the Brazilian poet is an illustrious son of the Recôncavo.
Translated by Kiratiana Freelon