Peruvian art
Encyclopedia
Peruvian art has its origin in the Andean civilizations
. These civilizations
rose in the territory of modern Peru
before the arrival of the Spanish
.
Peru's earliest artwork came from the Cupisnique
culture, which was concentrated on the Pacific coast, and the Chavín culture, which was largely north of Lima between the Andean mountain ranges of the Cordillera Negra and the Cordillera Blanca. Decorative work from this era, approximately the 9th century BCE, was symbolic and religious in nature. The artists worked with gold, silver and ceramics
to create a variety of sculpture and relief carvings. These civilizations were also known for their architecture
and stone sculpture
.
Between the 8th century BCE and the first century CE, the Paracas
Cavernas and Paracas Necropolis cultures developed on the south coast of Peru. Paracas Cavernas produced complex polychrome and monochrome ceramics with religious representations. Burials from the Paracas Necropolis also yielded complex textiles, many produced with sophisticated geometric patterns.
The third century BCE saw the flowering of the urban culture, Moche
, in the Lambayeque region. The Mochica culture
produced impressive architectural works, such as the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna
and the Huaca Rajada of Sipan
. They were expert at cultivation in terraces
and hydraulic engineering
and produced original ceramics, textiles, pictorial and sculptural works.
Another urban culture, the Wari civilization
, flourished between the 8th and 12th centuries in Ayacucho. Their centralized town planning was extended to other areas, such as Pachacamac
, Cajamarquilla
and Wari Willca.
Between the 9th and 13th centuries CE, the military urban Tiwanaku
empire rose by the borders of Lake Titicaca
. Centered around a city of the same name in modern-day Bolivia, the Tiwanaku introduced stone architecture and sculpture of a monumental type. These works of architecture
and art were made possible by the Tiwanaku's developing bronze
, which enabled them to make the necessary tools.
Urban architecture reached a new height between the 14th and 15th centuries in the Chimú Culture
. The Chimú built the city of Chan Chan
in the valley of the Moche river, in La Libertad. The Chimú
were skilled goldsmith
s and created remarkable works of hydraulic engineering
.
The Inca Civilization
, which united Peru under its hegemony in the centuries immediately preceding the Spanish conquest, incorporated into their own works a great part of the cultural legacy of the civilizations which preceded it. Important relics of their artwork and architecture can be seen in cities like Cusco, architectural remains like Sacsahuaman
and Machu Picchu
and stone pavements that united Cusco with the rest of the Inca Empire
.
and painting
began to define themselves from the ateliers
founded by monk
s, who were strongly influenced by the Sevillian Baroque School. In this context, the stalls of the Cathedral
choir, the fountain of the Main Square of Lima
and a great part of the colonial production were registered. The first center of art established by the Spanish was the Cuzco School
that taught Quechua
artists European painting styles. Diego Quispe Tito
(1611-1681) was one of the first members of the Cuzco school and Marcos Zapata
(1710-1773) was one of the last.
Painting of this time reflected a synthesis of European and indigenous influences, as is evident in the portrait of prisoner Atahualpa, by D. de Mora or in the canvases of the Italians Mateo Pérez de Alesio and Angelino Medoro, the Spaniards Francisco Bejarano and J. de Illescas and the Creole J. Rodriguez.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Baroque
Style also dominated the field of plastic arts.
and romantic currents
found their best representatives in L. Montero, Ignacio Merino
and Francisco Masias.
In sculpture
, some of the most remarkable artists include Luis Agurto, L. Valdettaro, Joaquin Roca Rey
, J. Piqueras, Alberto Guzmán, Victor Delfín
and F. Sánchez. Among the painters, Daniel Hernández
, R. Grau, Cesar Quispez Asin and Jose Sabogal
are particularly notable. Sabogal headed the indigenous movement, which was one of the main influences on Peruvian contemporary painting. Some of the most widely recognized painters are Fernando de Szyszlo
, Alberto Davila, Armando Villegas, Sabino Springett, J. Alberto Tello Montalvo, Victor Humareda, M. A. Cuadros, Angel Chávez
, Milner Cajahuaringa, Arturo Kubotta, Venancio Shinki, Alberto Quintanilla (wiki Es), G. Chávez, Tilsa Tsuchiya
, David Herskowitz, Oscar Allain, Carlos Revilla and Sérvulo Gutiérrez
.
Chulucanas
pottery is originates in the Piura Region
. Inspired by pre-Incan ceramics, the bold, graphic pottery is now exported all over the world. Designs are varied, but are predominated by black and white. There are several bigger companies but a lot of small manufactures are in Chulucanas itself and in the nearby villages of Quatro Esquinas.
The Ayacucho Region
is known for its retablo
s, or devotional paintings. San Pedro de Cajas in Ayacucho produces collectible looms. Cusco artistans create stuffed animal
s and doll
s. Cochas-Huancayo is known for its gourd art
.
Peruvian Ancient Cultures
Peruvian territory was inhabited 14,000 years ago by hunters and gatherers. Subsequent developments include the appearance of sedentary communities that developed agriculture and irrigation, and the emergence of complex socio-political hierarchies that created sophisticated civilizations,...
. These civilizations
Peruvian Ancient Cultures
Peruvian territory was inhabited 14,000 years ago by hunters and gatherers. Subsequent developments include the appearance of sedentary communities that developed agriculture and irrigation, and the emergence of complex socio-political hierarchies that created sophisticated civilizations,...
rose in the territory of modern Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
before the arrival of the Spanish
Spanish colonization of the Americas
Colonial expansion under the Spanish Empire was initiated by the Spanish conquistadores and developed by the Monarchy of Spain through its administrators and missionaries. The motivations for colonial expansion were trade and the spread of the Christian faith through indigenous conversions...
.
Pre-Columbian art
Cupisnique
Cupisnique was a pre-Columbian culture which flourished from ca. 1000 to 200 BC along what is presently Peru's Pacific Coast. The culture had a distinctive style of adobe clay architecture but shared artistic styles and religious symbols with the later Chavin culture which arose in the same area at...
culture, which was concentrated on the Pacific coast, and the Chavín culture, which was largely north of Lima between the Andean mountain ranges of the Cordillera Negra and the Cordillera Blanca. Decorative work from this era, approximately the 9th century BCE, was symbolic and religious in nature. The artists worked with gold, silver and ceramics
Ceramics (art)
In art history, ceramics and ceramic art mean art objects such as figures, tiles, and tableware made from clay and other raw materials by the process of pottery. Some ceramic products are regarded as fine art, while others are regarded as decorative, industrial or applied art objects, or as...
to create a variety of sculpture and relief carvings. These civilizations were also known for their architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and stone sculpture
Sculptured stones
Sculptured stones is a name applied to commemorative monuments of early Christian date found in various parts of the British Isles and Scandinavia....
.
Between the 8th century BCE and the first century CE, the Paracas
Paracas
Paracas may refer to:* Paracas culture, an important Andean society that existed in Peru between approximately 750 BC and 100 AD* Paracas Peninsula, located in the Ica Region of Peru* Paracas Bay, located in the Pisco Province of the Ica Region in Peru...
Cavernas and Paracas Necropolis cultures developed on the south coast of Peru. Paracas Cavernas produced complex polychrome and monochrome ceramics with religious representations. Burials from the Paracas Necropolis also yielded complex textiles, many produced with sophisticated geometric patterns.
The third century BCE saw the flowering of the urban culture, Moche
Moche
'The Moche civilization flourished in northern Peru from about 100 AD to 800 AD, during the Regional Development Epoch. While this issue is the subject of some debate, many scholars contend that the Moche were not politically organized as a monolithic empire or state...
, in the Lambayeque region. The Mochica culture
Moche
'The Moche civilization flourished in northern Peru from about 100 AD to 800 AD, during the Regional Development Epoch. While this issue is the subject of some debate, many scholars contend that the Moche were not politically organized as a monolithic empire or state...
produced impressive architectural works, such as the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna
Huaca del Sol
The Huaca del Sol is an adobe brick temple built by the Moche civilization on the coast of what is now Peru. The temple is one of several ruins found near the peak of Cerro Blanco, in the coastal desert near Trujillo, Peru...
and the Huaca Rajada of Sipan
Sipán
Sipán is a Moche archaeological site in northern Peru that is famous for the tomb of El Señor de Sipán , excavated by Walter Alva and his wife Susana Meneses. It is considered to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries in the last 30 years, because the main tomb was found intact...
. They were expert at cultivation in terraces
Terrace (agriculture)
Terraces are used in farming to cultivate sloped land. Graduated terrace steps are commonly used to farm on hilly or mountainous terrain. Terraced fields decrease erosion and surface runoff, and are effective for growing crops requiring much water, such as rice...
and hydraulic engineering
Hydraulic engineering
This article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...
and produced original ceramics, textiles, pictorial and sculptural works.
Another urban culture, the Wari civilization
Huari Culture
The Wari were a Middle Horizon civilization that flourished in the south-central Andes and coastal area of modern-day Peru, from about CE 500 to 1000...
, flourished between the 8th and 12th centuries in Ayacucho. Their centralized town planning was extended to other areas, such as Pachacamac
Pachacamac
The temple of Pachacamac is an archaeological site 40 km southeast of Lima, Peru in the Valley of the Lurín River. Most of the common buildings and temples were built c...
, Cajamarquilla
Cajamarquilla
The Cajamarquilla archaeological site is located 25 km inland from the coastal city of Lima, Peru; in the Jicamarca Valley, 6 km north of the Rímac River. It occupies an area of approximately 167 ha, making it one of the largest archaeological monuments in the country...
and Wari Willca.
Between the 9th and 13th centuries CE, the military urban Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku
Tiwanaku, is an important Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia, South America. Tiwanaku is recognized by Andean scholars as one of the most important precursors to the Inca Empire, flourishing as the ritual and administrative capital of a major state power for approximately five...
empire rose by the borders of Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca
Lake Titicaca is a lake located on the border of Peru and Bolivia. It sits 3,811 m above sea level, making it the highest commercially navigable lake in the world...
. Centered around a city of the same name in modern-day Bolivia, the Tiwanaku introduced stone architecture and sculpture of a monumental type. These works of architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
and art were made possible by the Tiwanaku's developing bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
, which enabled them to make the necessary tools.
Urban architecture reached a new height between the 14th and 15th centuries in the Chimú Culture
Chimú Culture
The Chimú were the residents of Chimor, with its capital at the city of Chan Chan, a large adobe city in the Moche Valley of present-day Trujillo, Peru. The culture arose about 900 AD. The Inca ruler Tupac Inca Yupanqui led a campaign which conquered the Chimú around 1470 AD,.This was just fifty...
. The Chimú built the city of Chan Chan
Chan Chan
The largest Pre-Columbian city in South America, Chan Chan is an archaeological site located in the Peruvian region of La Libertad, five km west of Trujillo. Chan Chan covers an area of approximately 20 km² and had a dense urban center of about 6km²...
in the valley of the Moche river, in La Libertad. The Chimú
Chimú Culture
The Chimú were the residents of Chimor, with its capital at the city of Chan Chan, a large adobe city in the Moche Valley of present-day Trujillo, Peru. The culture arose about 900 AD. The Inca ruler Tupac Inca Yupanqui led a campaign which conquered the Chimú around 1470 AD,.This was just fifty...
were skilled goldsmith
Goldsmith
A goldsmith is a metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Since ancient times the techniques of a goldsmith have evolved very little in order to produce items of jewelry of quality standards. In modern times actual goldsmiths are rare...
s and created remarkable works of hydraulic engineering
Hydraulic engineering
This article is about civil engineering. For the mechanical engineering discipline see Hydraulic machineryHydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive...
.
The Inca Civilization
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
, which united Peru under its hegemony in the centuries immediately preceding the Spanish conquest, incorporated into their own works a great part of the cultural legacy of the civilizations which preceded it. Important relics of their artwork and architecture can be seen in cities like Cusco, architectural remains like Sacsahuaman
Sacsayhuamán
-External links:* BBC Article...
and Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is a pre-Columbian 15th-century Inca site located above sea level. It is situated on a mountain ridge above the Urubamba Valley in Peru, which is northwest of Cusco and through which the Urubamba River flows. Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for...
and stone pavements that united Cusco with the rest of the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
.
Colonial art
Peruvian sculptureSculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
and painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
began to define themselves from the ateliers
Studio
A studio is an artist's or worker's workroom, or the catchall term for an artist and his or her employees who work within that studio. This can be for the purpose of architecture, painting, pottery , sculpture, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, radio or television...
founded by monk
Monk
A monk is a person who practices religious asceticism, living either alone or with any number of monks, while always maintaining some degree of physical separation from those not sharing the same purpose...
s, who were strongly influenced by the Sevillian Baroque School. In this context, the stalls of the Cathedral
Lima Cathedral
The Basilica Cathedral of Lima is a Roman Catholic cathedral located in the Plaza Mayor of downtown Lima, Peru. Construction began in 1535, and the building has undergone many reconstructions and transformation since, however it still retains its colonial structure and facade...
choir, the fountain of the Main Square of Lima
Lima District
Lima is a district of the Lima Province in Peru. It is not where the inner city zone of Lima, the country's capital city, is located, San Isidro District being such area in Lima....
and a great part of the colonial production were registered. The first center of art established by the Spanish was the Cuzco School
Cuzco School
The Cuzco School was a Roman Catholic artistic tradition based in Cusco, Peru during the Colonial period, in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries...
that taught Quechua
Quechua languages
Quechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably...
artists European painting styles. Diego Quispe Tito
Diego Quispe Tito
Diego Quispe Tito was a Peruvian painter. He is considered the leader of the Cuzco School of painting.The son of a noble Inca family, Quispe Tito was born in Cuzco, and worked throughout his life in the district of San Sebastián; his house is still extant, and shows his coat of arms on its door...
(1611-1681) was one of the first members of the Cuzco school and Marcos Zapata
Marcos Zapata
Marcos Zapata , also called Marcos Sapaca Inca, was a Peruvian Quechua painter, born in Cuzco. He was one of the last members of the Cuzco School, an art center in which Spanish painters taught native students to paint religious works. Zapata introduced elements from his own lands into his paintings...
(1710-1773) was one of the last.
Painting of this time reflected a synthesis of European and indigenous influences, as is evident in the portrait of prisoner Atahualpa, by D. de Mora or in the canvases of the Italians Mateo Pérez de Alesio and Angelino Medoro, the Spaniards Francisco Bejarano and J. de Illescas and the Creole J. Rodriguez.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
Style also dominated the field of plastic arts.
19th century
In the 19th century, French neoclassicFrench Rococo and Neoclassicism
18th-century French art was dominated by the Rococo and neoclassical movements. In France, the death of Louis XIV lead to a period of licentious freedom commonly called the Régence. The heir to Louis XIV, his great grandson Louis XV of France, was only 5 years old; for the next seven years France...
and romantic currents
Romanticism
Romanticism was an artistic, literary and intellectual movement that originated in the second half of the 18th century in Europe, and gained strength in reaction to the Industrial Revolution...
found their best representatives in L. Montero, Ignacio Merino
Ignacio Merino
Ignacio Merino Muñoz was a Peruvian painter who enjoyed a great international prestige; his paintings inspired the famous French writer Jules Verne to write Martín Paz, a fictional short story that was published in the illustrated magazine Musée des familles ....
and Francisco Masias.
Indigenous movement
The establishment of the Fine Arts School of Lima (1919) had a decisive influence on Peruvian sculpture and painting.In sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
, some of the most remarkable artists include Luis Agurto, L. Valdettaro, Joaquin Roca Rey
Joaquín Roca Rey
Joaquín Roca Rey was a Peruvian sculptor. Along with Cristina Gálvez, Jorge Piqueras and Juan Guzmán he has been called one of the most important Peruvian sculptors of the twentieth century. His work shows the influence of Henry Moore.-Reference:...
, J. Piqueras, Alberto Guzmán, Victor Delfín
Victor Delfín
Victor Delfín is one of the leading sculptors and painters in Peru.He is best known for his monumental El Beso , a large sculpture unveiled in 1993 in the "Love Park" by the Pacific Ocean in the Miraflores district of Lima. Many newlyweds visit the park to pose in front of the sculpture...
and F. Sánchez. Among the painters, Daniel Hernández
Daniel Hernández (painter)
Daniel Hernández Morillo was a Peruvian painter.Hernández was born in Hurpay, Huancavelica. He studied under Leonardo Barbieri, and in 1875, after attaining a scholarship from the Peruvian government, he travelled to Europe...
, R. Grau, Cesar Quispez Asin and Jose Sabogal
José Sabogal
José Sabogal was a Peruvian painter and muralist who was "the most renowned early supporter" and thus a leader in the artistic indigenist movement of his country. As Daniel Balderston, Mike Gonzalez, and Ana M...
are particularly notable. Sabogal headed the indigenous movement, which was one of the main influences on Peruvian contemporary painting. Some of the most widely recognized painters are Fernando de Szyszlo
Fernando de Szyszlo
Fernando De Szyszlo Valdelomar is a Peruvian artist who is a key figure in advancing abstract art in Latin America since the mid-1950s, and one of the leading plastic artists in Peru.-Studies and influences:...
, Alberto Davila, Armando Villegas, Sabino Springett, J. Alberto Tello Montalvo, Victor Humareda, M. A. Cuadros, Angel Chávez
Ángel Chávez
Ángel Aristedes Chávez is a Panamanian professional baseball infielder with the Bridgeport Bluefish of the independent Atlantic League of Professional Baseball. He made his Major League Baseball debut as an infielder with a late-season call up in for the San Francisco Giants...
, Milner Cajahuaringa, Arturo Kubotta, Venancio Shinki, Alberto Quintanilla (wiki Es), G. Chávez, Tilsa Tsuchiya
Tilsa Tsuchiya
Tilsa Tsuchiya Castillo was a contemporary Peruvian artist. She was a graduate of the Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes of Peru in 1959.- External links :* Tilsa Tsuchiya* Cuadros de Tsuchiya* Tilsa Tsuchiya 1936...
, David Herskowitz, Oscar Allain, Carlos Revilla and Sérvulo Gutiérrez
Sérvulo Gutiérrez
Sérvulo Gutiérrez Alarcón was a Peruvian artist, described by The Times as "Peru’s most celebrated painter". He was initially untaught and self-educated, but then trained under the artist Emilio Pettoruti. Gutiérrez had a relationship with Doris Gibson.- Life :Sérvulo Gutiérrez was born in Ica...
.
Folk art
Chulucanas
Chulucanas is a town in Piura Region, Peru. It is located at around .The town is famous for its pottery. Originally dating from pre-Inca times it is today exported all over the world. Designs are varied, but are predominated by black and white. There are several bigger companies but a lot of small...
pottery is originates in the Piura Region
Piura Region
Piura is a coastal region in northwestern Peru. The region's capital is Piura and its largest port cities, Paita and Talara, are also among the most important in Peru...
. Inspired by pre-Incan ceramics, the bold, graphic pottery is now exported all over the world. Designs are varied, but are predominated by black and white. There are several bigger companies but a lot of small manufactures are in Chulucanas itself and in the nearby villages of Quatro Esquinas.
The Ayacucho Region
Ayacucho Region
Ayacucho is a region of Peru, located in the south-central Andes of the country. Its capital is the city of Ayacucho. The region was one of the hardest hit by terrorism during the 1980s during the guerrilla war waged by Shining Path known as the internal conflict in Peru.A referendum was held on...
is known for its retablo
Retablo
A Retablo or lamina is a Latin American devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic church art....
s, or devotional paintings. San Pedro de Cajas in Ayacucho produces collectible looms. Cusco artistans create stuffed animal
Stuffed animal
A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw, beans, plastic pellets, cotton, synthetic fibres, or other similar materials. Stuffed toys are also known as plush toys A stuffed toy is a toy sewn from cloth, plush, or other textiles, and stuffed with straw,...
s and doll
Doll
A doll is a model of a human being, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have traditionally been used in magic and religious rituals throughout the world, and traditional dolls made of materials like clay and wood are found in the Americas, Asia, Africa and Europe. The earliest documented dolls...
s. Cochas-Huancayo is known for its gourd art
Gourd art
Gourd art involves creating works of art using Lagenaria spp. hard-shell gourds as an art medium. Gourd surfaces may be carved, painted, sanded, burned, dyed, and polished...
.
See also
- List of Peruvian artists
- Latin American artLatin American artLatin American art is the combined artistic expressions of South America, Central America, the Caribbean, and Mexico, as well as Latin American living in other regions....