This painting by the Brazilian painter Candido Portinari, called "Retirantes" of 1944, depicts a Brazilian novel called "Vidas Secas". This novel is set in the Northeastern region of Brazil. The author, Graciliano Ramos, who was born in this region, narrates the hardships of natives of the region that has to migrate often because in general the place is desert, dry. The people are then portrayed in a lean, sad and overly contrived manner.