"The Pursuit of Human Perfection": Brazil at the Vienna Universal Exhibition of 1873.

Between 1862 and 1889, the Brazilian government under Emperor D. Pedro II (1831-1889) perceived international exhibitions as an excellent opportunity for promoting and projecting an idealized image of the "modern nation". Although most exhibitions, such as the Vienna Universal Exhibition of 1873, focused on Brazil's economic development and its vast natural resources, representations of Its population and culture also played an important role in the elites' project to disseminate the image of a "new Brazil" abroad. However, these events were not as harmonious as It would seem at first glance, a fact that illustrates the growing divisions within the Empire during this period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]