"Portinari had diverse literary interests; the works of Machado de Assis and Cervantes fascinated him. He accepted offers to illustrate 'Memorias Póstumas de Brás Cubas,' 'O Alienista,' and 'Don Quijote,' as well as Hans Staden's 16th-century writings, 'Two Trips to Brazil.' In all of them Portinari expresses - in different media - his great talent as an illustrator and illuminator. Thanks to these 1997 exhibitions, a special and seldom seen side of Portinari's work is revealed"--Handbook of Latin American Studies, v. 58.