| Summary: | The present article examines the relationship between intellectuals and political autonomy in the Brazilian cultural context, focusing on a historical case study: the actions of two of the most important leaders of the modernist movement, Mário de Andrade and Oswald de Andrade. Special consideration is given to two lectures delivered by them, “The modernist movement” (1942) and “The path trodden” (1944), respectively. How did these authors react to powerful pressures by the Vargas dictatorship to control information and cultural discourse? Mário de Andrade attempted to draw near to the authorities, but afterwards publicly expressed regret and self-criticism. Oswald de Andrade, engaged in communist circles, kept a distance from official patronage at the time. The results of their respective attitudes are indicative of the difficult position of Brazilian intellectuals faced with an authoritarian State.
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