Figure 1.--Mexican muralists are surely the best known Latin American artists. There striking works like this one depicting Aztec life mixing with Spanish culture by Diego Rivera adorn public buildings throughout Mexico. They are emotive and many very ideological. Capitalists are depicted as evil lecherous devils and Communists as the saviors of mankind. The problem for Mexico and Latin American in general is that it is capitalism that is the system that creates wealth and economies that provide prosperous lives to people.

As far as we know, while Native american people painted their buildings, they left us few actual paintings. The only important paintings we know of are Mayan tomb paintings. There are drawings in Mayan codicies. With the conquest the Spanish fathers taught talnted Native Americn European artistic techniques. Most of their work was rligious intended to decorate churchs. We know of very few notable Latin American artists. The best known artists are the Mexican muralists, very dramatic works, but highly idological. We are not sure why there are relatively few importnt Latin American artists. Surely economics is a factor. It is wealthy countries that produce great art. And Latin America has languashed in poverty during the Spanish colonial era as well after indepependence. The region is not fully developing its human talent. Latin America continues to be very poor in comprison to Europe and North America and now Asia. Aalthough since the rise of free market capitalism during recent years in some countries there has been considerable progress. Some countries (Cuba, Nicargua, nd Venezuel) have made the catetrophic decesion to develop a socilist economy, thus nsuring widespread povety. Hopefully our Latin American readers will be able to provide us some information or important artists in their country.

Argentina

Argentina is commonly seen as the most successful Latin American country, almost making the transition from a develoioing toa modern developed nation, but then faltering. this is imprtant bbcause art is in large measure a reflectioin of economic activity which is why many Latin American countries have rather kimited artistic traditions. We are just beginning to assess Argentine art. There have been discoveries of cave paintying in Patagoinia, albeit primitive hand images (11,000-7,000 BC). large numbrrs of pictigraohs have been founf in the north. As in other Latin American countries, painting during the Spanish colonial era was primarily religious art (16th-18th centurues). Much of his work was done by Amer-Indians taught by friarss and priests assicuaited with the relgious orders. The work was used to decorate the churches, including examples in mostly northern Argentina. This is geneally referred to as the Cuszo School which dominated art throughout the Andes during the colonial era. In addition to paintings there were also manuscript illustrations. The Cuzco School begam to declne at the great silver mining complex at Potosí began to play out. Noreof the Aner-Indian artists of yhe Cuco school or their descendents went on to play an imporatnt role in Latin American art. We also see the work of colonists, priests, scientists, and European visitors. Here one of the most importany body of work was the drawings and watercolors of the German Jesuit Florian Paucke (1719-89). The Latin American Wars of liberation occurred ended the Spanish Empire (early-19th century)--except for Cuba and Puerto Rico. Unlike North America, however, there was no ensuing social transformation. In the early-19th century we mostly see see the work of foreign artists who visited and resided in Argentina. An important example was English seaman Emeric Essex Vidal (1791–1861), a watercolorist who illustrate Argentine historyat the time. French engineer Carlos E. Pellegrini (1800–75), was also important. His son, Carlos Pellegrini, would be an Argenine president. The seaman Adolfo D'Hastrel (1805-75) published his drawings and watercolors in the book Colección de vistas y costumbres del Río de la Plata (1875). Lithographer César Hipólito Bacle (1790–1838) was also important. Carlos Morel (1813-1894) who began to paint (1830s is generally given the honor of the first Argentine national painter. He was followed by Prilidiano Pueyrredón (1823-70) and Cándido López (1840-1902), who created images of the gauchos and Argentina's the 19th century wars. These wars were major events, especially the bloody War of the Triple Alliance, and are virtually unknown outide South America. We note portaits. One was aponrd bt Benhamin Franklin Rawson (1855). We begin to see the first Argentine artistic institutions (mid-19th century). This included La Sociedad Estímulo de Bellas Artes and El Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes. The Museo's first director was the painter Eduardo Schiaffino. It is at this time, the great wave of European immigration began (1870-1930). Unlike North Anerica it was almost exclusively from Catholic countries--especially Italy. A strong relationship to European painting developed--primarily through Italian painters or children of Italians. At the time Italy was not at the vanguard of Western art. Eduardo Sívori (1847-1918) introduced naturalism. Also imoratnt were Reynaldo Giudici (1853-1927) and Ernesto de la Cárcova (1866-1927) who depicted the inequities of capitalism. As in other countrus, artists did no depict what life was like without capitalism or the barabriotes of scoolist rehimes (Communist and Fascist). Ángel Della Valle (1852-1903) founded school of painying depicting the customs of the countryside, with paintings like 'La vuelta del malón'. Malón meant the Mapuche plunder raiders. With the advent of the 20th centurty, modern art reached Argenina. Martín Malharro (1865–1911) introduced impressionism to Argentina (1902). oyher artits followed: Faustino Brughetti (1877–1956), Walter de Navazio (1887–1919) and Ramón Silva (1890–1919). Soon after, Fernando Fader (1882–35) and the artists of the Nexus group became imprtant ns while influnced by the French impressionists wanted to pursue their own ideas. .

Bolivia

While today Bolivia has virtully no impact on the art world, this was not the case in the case in ghe Spanish colonial era. Bolivia which was part of the Viceroyalty of Peru was part of the Cuzco School. This was the work of Amer-Indian artists trained by thed Spanish friars abd priests to paint religious workls to decorate churches gthroughhout the Andes and impress the illiterate Amer-Indian people who they were converting to Catholocism. The Cuzco Shool was financed by the great wealth of Potosí--esentially a silver moiuntain. When the silver played out so did the Cuzco School. We know of no imprtant artistic work in Bolivia after this.

Brazil

We do not yet have much information on Brazilian art. We note the work of Lisbon born Joaquim Cândido Guillobel (1787-1859). He came to Brazil with is father (1808) and pursued a military career as an architect, artist, and cartographer. He was not a master painter, but en effective draughtsman. While born in Portugal, his artistic career was all executed in Brazil. His works are of historical interest and provide insughts into Brazilian life, in this case slave life. He began producing drawings and watercolors soon after arrivial. He remained in Brazil and made his home there.

Chile

Ecuador

As in other areas of the Andes, Ecuadirean colonial are was dominated by the Cuzco School. This mostlh involved religious art, but there were some portraits. We know of only one Ecuadorian artist of note at this time. We note a painting of a youthful mulatto nobel in the service of the Spanish King (Philip III) is Don Domingo Arobé. He wears gold jewelry, but not in the European fashion and carries a Spanish pike. This is a detail from a larger portrait. We know the portrait was painted in Ecuador (1599). The artist was Andrés Sánchez Galque . He was a political leader from the Esmeraldas coast (Ecuador) and the son of an escaped African slave and an indigenous Nicaraguan woman. By that time, Spanish control of the Andes was firmly established.

Mexico

We have found few Mexican artists of note, but of course incourage Mexican reader to forward us information on important national artists. We have found a painting by an unidentified artiist, we think from about the 1830s. The most stunning art from Mexico is of course the work of the great muralists like Rivera and Orocozo. Their work is highly ideological political focusing on the Spanish Conquest and the suppression of the Native American people which is both dramatic and accurate. The modern period is depicted in leftist terms picturing capitalists exploiting workers and idealizing Communism. While artistically striking, the murals are telling for what one does not see. Totaly absent from this work is the Soviet state's supression of peasants and the horrors of the Gulag. Also missing is any appreciation of how democracy and capitalism in America and Europe were generating the jobs and wealth which for the first time were allowing the average individual to achieve a prosperous life. It is no accident that millions of Mexicans aspiring for a better life have been forced to emigrate, usually illegally, to the United States. This revolutionary mindset is still prevalent in Latin America, a factor in explaining why so many countries in the region languish in corruption, and endemic poverty. We have used the work of some of these murals to illustrate history pages, such as Diego Rivera and Jose Clemnte Orozco.

Peru

Peru has a long history of civiliaztions with a rich artistic record. Paingting was, hiowecer, nit ione if the artistic mediums that was well developed. Cuzco was the capital of the Inca Empire conquered by the Spanish Coinquistadores (1530s). A major goal of the Spanish was go convert the Amer-Indian population througout the Andes and convert it to a servile, compliant work force. Here the Church played a major role. As part of that effort, the Spanish friars and priests trained Amer-Indians to paint. They wanted decorations and irnamebtatiion for the churches they were building thrughout the Andes. This was not only decofative, but served to illustrate Chririanity to the illiterate Amer-Indian population of the Andes. It became jnown as the Cuzco School because Cuzco had been the capital of the Inca Empire. Vital to the Cuzco School was Bolivia, part of the Spanish colony of Peru. An immense silver resource was found at Cerro Rico -- Poltosí (1545). This financed the Spanish imperial economy and along with it the Cuzco School. We only know of a few Peruvian artists at this time. One of the most impprtant was Francisco Laso (1823-69). who helped found indigenismo in art. We note the modern painter Fernando Sayan Polo (Peru, 1947- ). We also notice a charming drawing by Marin Pescador of a Andean boy.

West Indies

We know very little about the arustic life of the small island countries of the West Indies. We have not yet found any that are helpful in oir historical quest to find historical fashion depictions. We note one Itliam artist who lived much of his life in Dominica and St. Vincent, Agostinio Brunias (c1830-96). He painted many images showing life on Caribbean islands, often ficusing on free women of color, many including children. His workl is ciontroversial because it does not show the brutality of Caribbean slavery.

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Created: 6:55 PM 11/26/2017
Last updated: 10:02 PM 2/10/2023