In 1500 B.C.E. the Olmec emerged as the one of the earliest Mesoamerican civilizations and some art historians consider them the “Mother Culture” of Mesoamerica.
Dr. Maya Jiménez
Built by Catholic monks to convert the indigenous population, these spaces combined pre-Hispanic and European forms.
Mission churches as theaters of conversion in ...
European explorers enhanced knowledge of the new world, but their efforts were soured by an air of re-conquest.
Early Scientific Exploration in Latin America
Revolutionary priests and an ex-member of the Spanish military led a charge for independence and equality for some.
Mexican Independence
European explorers enhanced knowledge, but their efforts were soured by an air of re-conquest.
Early Scientific Exploration in Latin America
Stereotypical folkloric scenes were widely circulated, shaping perceptions of Latin America at home and abroad.
Costumbrismo
Inspired by art academies in Europe, Mexico founded its own in 1785, the first in America.
The Academy of San Carlos
Enlightenment ideals of democracy planted the seeds for colonial movements in the Spanish colonies of the Americas.
Independence from Spanish rule in South America
One of many Maya city-states, Palenque rose to prominence in the seventh century thanks to an ambitious local lord.
Palenque (Classic Period)
As independent city-states, the ancient Maya lacked a centralized power but shared a common belief system.
The Maya, an introduction
Why are the names of two Italians used to describe the sophisticated cultures before the arrival of the Europeans?
Defining “Pre-Columbian” and “Mesoamerica”
“Latin America” is an imperfect but useful term for a vast and culturally diverse area.
Latin American art: an introduction
The Aztecs knew Teotihuacan as the “city of the gods” and revered it. But who were the people who built it?
Teotihuacan
Painted in front of MOMA visitors in 1940 as WWII waged on, Orozco’s mural depicts the triumph of war over humanity.
José Clemente Orozco, Dive Bomber and Tank
Described by Clark as a “non object,” Bicho can take many shapes, and is manipulated by the viewer.
Lygia Clark, Bicho
Torres-García upended traditional hierarchical structures by defining the art of South America on its own terms.
Joaquín Torres-García, Inverted America
Osorio’s art explores the experience of being Latin American in New York City.