Old Masters of South America at The Tucson Museum of Art

Wednesday, 03 January 2007 22:58

Tucson, Arizona – Enter a world of richly detailed paintings created centuries ago in the exhibition The Virgin, Saints, and Angels: South American Paintings 1600 – 1825 from the Thoma Collection on view at the Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block January 20 – April 29, 2007.  This exhibition of 55 paintings explores the visual tradition of the Viceroyalty of Peru, which encompassed present day Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and parts of Argentina and Chile.  This is the first North American exhibition to focus exclusively on the paintings of South America's Viceregal period.

The works in The Virgin, Saints, and Angels bring the viewer into a mystical world illuminated by heavenly light reflecting off of jewels, interwoven with gold and silver silk brocades that provoke thoughts of the Kingdom of Heaven or Hell.  Each image tells a story, revealing layers of traditions and teachings that formed the foundations for contemporary society.  When painted, the artists maintained defined tenets representing the iconography and followed in the tradition of the European masters who came to this Spanish colony to train native artists.  Created for private individuals, the government, and the Church, these easel paintings found homes throughout Spain’s territories in the New World.

Although Peru’s Cuzco School is the best known, other styles evolved in the area including examples by Italian, Flemish, Spanish, Creole, Mestizo, and Indian artists.  The exhibition offers a compelling survey of the diverse regional schools and illustrates the range of religious and secular subject matter favored in the Viceroyalty.

Because of Tucson’s grand Hispanic heritage and the tradition that lives in the Mission system, there is no better venue in the continental United States that is inherently more connected and appropriate to experience these works.  At the Tucson Museum of Art, visitors are encouraged to explore more fully the rich depth and meaning contained in the images that correspond to the traditional rites and rituals celebrated in this region.

The Virgin, Saints, and Angels was organized by the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts at Stanford University, and has been made possible by support from the Clumeck Fund and a grant from funds established by the late Drs. A. Jess and Ben Shenson.  The fully illustrated catalogue that accompanies the exhibition is co-published by Skira and includes essays offering new perspectives on the art of Spanish South America by scholars from Peru, Japan, Canada, and the United States.

The Tucson Museum of Art and Historic Block connects art to life, inspiring discovery, creativity, and cultural understanding through meaningful, engaging experiences.  The museum is open Tuesday – Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm and Sunday 12:00– 4:00 pm.  The first Sunday of each month is free.  It is located at 140 North Main Avenue in historic downtown Tucson. At the crossroads of West Alameda and North Main Avenue, the museum includes five historic houses, public tours, a Research Library, and Art School.  Visit www.TucsonMuseumofArt.org