O caso da destruição das pinturas murais da sede da Fazenda Rialto, Bananal

This article is about the eighteenth century mural paintings at the headquarters of Fazenda Rialto, in Bananal, which were destroyed in 1996. These constituted one of the most important sets of ambient paintings with secular themes produced in the state of São Paulo during the period corresponding to the first cycle of coffee production. Orally attributed to the painter José Maria Villaronga y Panella, all that remains of these paintings are some photographs and dozens of fragments, impossible to reassemble. Studying the fragments of the paintings of Rialto as primary material documents, the main objective of this article is to identify the artistic, technical, and executive characteristics of three sets of murals attributed to a single painter. A methodology which combines laboratory tests and historical research on artistic techniques was adopted for objectively recognizing the artistic and artisan characteristics of the period and discussing the attribution of exclusive authorship to the work. The analytical systems adopted for this purpose were: examination with ultraviolet and infra-red radiation, optical microscopy, Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Energy Dispersive Spectrometry (EDS) to analyze its chemical elements. Issues related to the limitations on official Brazilian preservation activities for this category of artistic work were also discussed, reflecting on the development and changes in notions of historicity related to the preservation of works from the past and their methodological implications for conservation and restoration.Este artigo trata dos murais artísticos oitocentistas da sede da Fazenda Rialto, em Bananal, destruídos em 1996, que constituíam um dos mais importantes conjuntos de pinturas ambientais de temática profana produzidos no Estado de São Paulo no período correspondente ao primeiro ciclo da cultura do café. Atribuídas oralmente ao pintor José Maria Villaronga y Panella, dessas pinturas restaram apenas algumas fotografias e centenas de fragmentos, de impossível reassemblagem. Estudando-se os fragmentos de pintura da Rialto como documento material primário, o trabalho apresentado tem como principal objetivo a identificação das características artísticas e tecnoexecutivas de três conjuntos de murais tributados a um mesmo pintor. Para reconhecimento objetivo dos fazeres artístico-artesanais do período e discussão da atribuição de autoria exclusiva, adotou-se uma metodologia que combina exames laboratoriais e pesquisa histórica das técnicas artísticas. Os sistemas analíticos adotados para esse fim foram: exame com radiação ultravioleta e infravermelha, microscopia óptica, microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e espectroscopia de energia dispersiva (EDS) para análise química elementar. Discutem-se também questões relativas aos limites da ação preservacionista oficial brasileira sobre essa categoria de obra artística, refletindo sobre o desenvolvimento e as mudanças das noções de historicidade relativas à preservação dos bens do passado e suas implicações metodológicas nos conceitos de conservação e restauro

A review of the major biological approaches to control the worldwide pest Tetranychus urticae (Acari: Tetranychidae) with special reference to natural pesticides

The two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch, is a phytophagous pest that can cause significant yield losses in many agricultural crops, including fruits, cotton, vegetables, and ornamentals. To date, 3877 host species have been reported around the world in both outdoor crops and greenhouses. In this paper, we present the common methods to control this pest including chemical and biological practices. While synthetic acaricides have been widely used to manage T. urticae, in recent years, interest in pesticides derived from plants has increased considerably as a result of environmental concerns and pest population resistance to conventional pesticides. Some botanical pesticides can be easily produced,are relatively efficient against pests, and with few exceptions, their mammalian toxicity and persistence in the environment is low. Thus, the use of plant extracts appears to be a promising alternative strategy for pest management. The present paper reviews studies on the biocidal activities of plant extracts, including essential oils, against T. urticae, a plant-feeding mite found worldwide and a serious agricultural and home garden pest