The Blanton Museum of Art will present “The Virgin, Saints and Angels: South American Paintings 1600‱825 from the Thoma Collection,” January 29⁍arch 16. Organized by the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, the exhibition features 55 miraculous paintings from South America during the days of Spanish colonialism in the Viceroyalty of Peru, which encompassed present-day Peru, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Ecuador, Colombia, parts of Chile and Argentina, and Panama.
Drawn from the renowned private collection of Marilynn and Carl Thoma, this internationally touring exhibition shows how local artisans, centuries ago, transformed the religious and painting traditions of Spanish missionaries to create an artistry all their own. Gorgeously colored, richly detailed paintings of the Virgin Mary, saints and angels, replete with mystical symbolism, illustrate how the images of the Old World were transformed by the imagination of the New World.
The first major North American exhibition to focus exclusively on paintings from this period, “The Virgin, Saints and Angels” offers a rare opportunity to study the distinctive artistic traditions that evolved as European beliefs and imagery were adapted by the indigenous peoples of the Andean region. The missionaries who followed on the heels of the conquistadors taught local artisans how to integrate European art forms and Christian iconography to produce images of God, the Trinity, the Virgin Mary, and saints and angels, which were used in the campaign to win Catholic converts.
Initially, oil paintings in South America were provided by artists from Italy, Spain and Flanders. As local artists became proficient in their techniques, they began decorating churches and public buildings. Innumerable easel paintings were also produced, often in large workshops with various artists contributing specialized skills to the finished artwork. Visitors to the exhibition will find several paintings still in their original, richly carved frames, which are part of this workshop tradition.
Created for the church, the government and private individuals, these easel paintings were found homes throughout Spain’s territories in the New World. Over time, many were also exported abroad. Although the Cuzco School is the best known, other regional styles evolved in centers elsewhere in Peru, Bolivia, Columbia and Ecuador. Including examples by Italian, Flemish, Spanish, Creole, mestizo and Indian hands, the Thoma collection offers a compelling survey of the diverse regional schools and illustrates the range of religious and secular subject matter favored in the region.
The exhibition is divided into several sections: early European-influenced; proselytizing and teaching Christian dogma; particular devotions, such as the Virgin of Copacabana, Our Lady of Pomato and Our Lady of Cayma; narrative works celebrating the life of the Virgin Mary; and portraits.
Curated by Suzanne Stratton-Pruitt, curator of the Thoma collection, the exhibition is accompanied by a 250-page fully illustrated catalog co-published by Stanford and Skira. It is available at the museum shop.
The University of Texas at Austin Blanton Museum of Art is at 23rd street and San Jacinto. For information, 512-271-7324 and www.blantonmuseum.org
