Birdman of Assisi
Subtitle: art and the apocalyptic in the colonial Andes
By: Jaime Lara
Series: Medieval and Renaissance texts and studies -- Volume 476; Medieval and Renaissance Latin America -- Volume 1
Publisher: ACMRS (Arizona Center for Medieval and Renaissance Studies) and Bilingual Press/Editorial Bilingüe
Published: 2015
Place of publication: Tempe, Arizona
Language: eng
Number of pages: 353
ISBN-13: 9780866985291
Subjects: Art; Indian philosophy; Flight in art; Christianity and culture; Apocalyptic art; Indians of South America; Spanish colonial Art; Religion
Description: This volume examines images and beliefs related to birdmen among Incas and other peoples of South America, and the transformation of that phenomena in the colonial era by Christian missionaries. The author brings to light previously-unknown images of Saint Francis of Assisi with wings, flying through the air as a militant angel of the Apocalypse. Although commissioned by the Franciscan friars, these works of painting and sculpture were executed by native artists with native sensibilities. They reveal a social critique of colonial society, an expectation of an approaching end of the world, and a controversial role for Francis of Assisi at a final cosmic battle. Natural catastrophes, such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, combined with mythology, prophecy, piety and public performance, assert a "Franciscan exceptionalism" at a crucial time in Latin American history. A side trip to colonial Mexico reveals that similar dynamics were occurring there, but with different artistic solutions. Birdman of Assisi documents how a beloved medieval saint gained new life among Incas and other native civilizations of the Americas, and continues to fascinate their descendants today.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.