Butantan institute started off in the early twentieth century as a large expanse of farmland and remnants of the jungle that used to be there. The original idea was to grow plants from which quinone could be extracted since malaria was a major growing epidemic and the plant derived drug was an effective treatment. The quinone plants failed to grow, and other attempts at growing medicinal plants also failed. As the institute changed directions over the years it gained fame as a center for biology research and a specialty in extracting snake venoms to produce serum and antidotes. The University of São Paulo campus is also attached the Butantan complex. We visited today but Cilei was dismayed that one of her favorite places to read and study was now overrun with cars, tour busses, paved walkways and buildings all over. The development was all related to the institute, however, the place felt more like a theme park than a historical biology refuge. At least the walk in the forest was peaceful.
The painting shows a piece of the original library that Cilei used to study at. I painted it before on a previous visit to Brazil. This time the structure was renovated and white washed. In the foreground you see the trees that emanate from the boa constrictor habitat. A sign said that the snakes could climb the trees but not escape the tall walls of the enclosure. I painted a snake coiling its way up the tree for dramatic effect.
Butantan Institute with Boa Constrictor 5x7" watercolour cold press, May 2023 (No. 3449)
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