Alfredo Roque Gameiro was born in Minde, Portugal, in 1864; and died in Lisbon in 1935. He is considered one of Portugal's greatest watercolor painters, having also developed an intense activity as illustrator.
According to Jaime Martins Barata, "having an extremely penetrating look — he would even complain that he 'saw too much' — in fact he saw more with the eyes of the soul than with his bodily eyes. His landscapes, his portraits, and especially his seascapes, are never rigorous transpositions of reality. They reflect a state of simple and natural wonder — without philosophies or schools — of a 'pantheistic' and 'Franciscan' soul."
An important part of his work can be found at the Roque Gameiro Watercolor Museum in Minde; in various other museums, including the José Malhoa, Lisbon, Madrid Contemporary Art, National Contemporary Art, and Viseu museums; and in multiple private collections in Portugal and abroad.
The first-born child of Alfredo Roque Gameiro, Raquel Roque Gameiro (1889-1970) distinguished herself as a watercolor painter and illustrator.
Her work was first exhibited at Portugal's Fine Arts Society (SNBA) in 1909, having then been awarded an honorary mention. She would later be recognized with multiple other prizes, including the SNBA Gold Medal. In 1923, her paintings were included in the Madrid exhibition of Portuguese watercolor painters.
She illustrated numerous books (e.g., Livro do Bebé) and various newspapers and magazines (e.g., Diário de Notícias, O Século, O Comércio do Porto).
Like his father, Manuel Roque Gameiro (1892-1944) chose watercolor as a medium of choice. He frequently signed his paintings under the the pseudonym Migança (the name his paternal grandfather was known by). Manuel was distinguished by Portugal's Fine Arts Society and his work included in multiple exhibitions. He collaborated as a caricaturist in various humor newspapers.
Helena Roque Gameiro (1895-1986), Alfredo's second daughter, had her work first exhibited when she was only fifteen years old. She would continue painting watercolors for the rest of her life.
Helena participated in multiple exhibitions, both in Portugal and abroad. She received various honors from Portugal's Fine Arts Society. Rural landscapes and garden flowers were some of her favorite painting themes.
For many years, she was professor and director at the António Arroio School.
In 1923 she married José Leitão de Barros.
Encouraged by her father Alfredo, for whom there were already enough watercolor painters in the family, Màmía Roque Gameiro (1901-1996) studied oil painting with Mily Possoz. Màmía's first solo exhibition took place in 1923.
In addition to painting, Màmía illustrated numerous children's books and magazines. She also distinguished herself as miniaturist, namely in histologic representation.
When in 1926 she married painter Jaime Martins Barata, Màmía became Alfredo and Assunção Roque Gameiro's neighbor in Campolide, in the building to which the family had recently moved.
Ruy Roque Gameiro, Alfredo's youngest son, was born in 1906 in Amadora. He studied sculpture in Lisbon's School of Fine Arts. His work was first exhibited in 1929 at Portugal's Fine Arts Society. He received multiple prizes and was the winner of various sculpture competitions.
Ruy's promising career was cut short by a fatal road accident in 1935, two weeks after his father died.
Married to Helena Roque Gameiro, José Leitão de Barros (1896-1967) was a man of multiple talents. Upon completing his studies at the University of Lisbon, he became a high-school teacher; but his varied interests eventually led him to work as a movie director, playwright, scenographer, journalist, and painter. Many of his paintings can be found in museums throughout Portugal and Spain.
By the 1930s he considered himself a "defunct painter" and devoted primarily to film making. His 1942 film, Ala-Arriba!, was distinguished at the Venice biennial festival.
In 1934 and 1935, he organized the first historical pageants during the Lisbon's annual festivities. He was secretary-general of the 1940 Portuguese World Exhibition.
Married to Màmía Roque Gameiro, Jaime Martins Barata (1899-1970) was, like his colleague and friend José Leitão de Barros, a man of many talents. Like José, upon completing his studies at the University of Lisbon, he became a high-school teacher. An avid watercolor painter since his teen years, he complemented his teaching activity with a variety of jobs as an illustrator.
A series of commissions eventually led him to a career fully dedicated to painting, both on a large scale (multiple fresco paintings located throughout Portugal) and on a small scale (multiple postage stamps, coins and bills, many of which were in circulation for decades).
Other than painting, Martins Barata's interests included photography, naval archeology, and various inventions.