Veríssimo de Freitas

Veríssimo de Souza Freitas (ca. 1758–1806) was an Afro-Brazilian painter of Colonial Brazil, noted for his paintings in various churches in Salvador and the immediate interior of Bahia region. He was an apprentice, assistant, and employee of Joaquim José da Rocha (1737-1807). De Freitas' mastery of trompe-l'œil painting follows in the tradition of Da Rocha. They worked simultaneously on numerous paintings, leading to confusion about authorship of some works. Freitas' ceiling paintings feature trompe l'oeil paintings with columns and arches, which continue to a central medallion with a painted sky.