The Arts in Latin America, 1492-1820 (Philadelphia Museum of Art)
Even though art is the distillate of history and the embodiment of cultural exchange, the art rooted in the Iberian conquest and colonization of Latin America has received precious little consideration. This omission is now spectacularly redressed in this prodigious volume, a comprehensive and complex undertaking involving a remarkable team of international scholars. More than 450 little-known works of art spanning three centuries represent the creative output of 10 Central and South American countries, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Accompanied by trailblazing essays that address everything from city planning and architecture to mysticism, politics, and everyday life are decorative arts, textiles, silver, and furniture, as well as paintings and sculpture, vibrant, colorful, and lavishly detailed works shaped by indigenous traditions as well as the aesthetics and beliefs of Spain and Portugal, Africa and Asia. Given that religious conversion was integral to colonization, Christianity is the dominant theme, albeit passionately reimagined in fresh and diverse artistic visions. Eye-opening on many fronts, this magnificent book enhances understanding of a still sharply relevant chapter in global history.Donna SeamanCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved