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July Issue 2006
Mint Museum of Art in Charlotte, NC, Features Exhibition of Spanish Art
For more than four centuries, the vast wealth and power of Spain were direct results of its domination over a large part of the Americas. In their conquest of the New World, the Spaniards were interested in both gold to fill their treasury, and the baptism of souls for the glory of God. Art was highly useful in conveying the Church's doctrine and gospel, and early missionaries frequently used artists to provide the visual language they needed in their work of conversion. Foreign artists dominated the New World during the early years of the conquest, but by the middle of the 17th century, native talents supplanted that of imported artists. Indigenous traditions and traces of pre-conquest characteristics were incorporated into many Christians' artworks, imbuing them with a distinctive quality. Precolumbian and European styles fused into what we now call the Spanish Colonial style.
Organized by The Mint Museums in Charlotte, NC, paintings, sculptures, silver and furniture from the late 17th through 19th century make up Spanish Colonial Art from the Lilly and Francis Robicsek Collection. On view through Sept. 10, 2006, selections in this special exhibition of Spanish Colonial art will include works from the collection of Dr. and Mrs. Francis Robicsek of Charlotte, which have never been publicly displayed.
Madonna and Christ Child from Peru, Christ Child with symbols of the Passion from Peru, and Saint John the Baptist from Peru are just a few of the 16 oil on cloth paintings shown in the exhibition. Saint Francis Penitent from Mexico, Saint Christopher and the Christ Child from Peru, and Archangel Raphael from Ecuador are just a taste of the 15 oil on canvas paintings.
Sculptures and statues in the exhibition include many well known subjects with a rich history behind each one. Immaculate Conception from Mexico was created in the late 18th century. The Virgin Mary, considered free of all sin and known as the Immaculate Conception, was declared patroness of all Spanish territories in the Americas in 1760. Pope Saint Gregory the Great from Guatemala was also created in the late 18th century. In this statue, Pope Saint Gregory the Great wears the papal tiara and hold the papal staff, or crosier. He is known for reform of the liturgy of the Church and established a style of chant known as Gregorian chant. Along with these pieces, Saint Michael Archangel Triumphant from Mexico, Savior of the World from the Philippine Islands, and Saint John the Baptist from Mexico are a few other statues that stand side by side.
The Mint Museums have been able to collect furniture, silver, and other items from this time period. The array of furniture includes altars and a portable cabinet on stand from the Philippine Islands. The collection of silver and clothing in this exhibition include a commemorative plate from Peru, a helmet for a statue of Saint Michael Archangel, a chasuble, and a silver plaque of Sacred Heart of Jesus from Mexico.
Spanish Colonial Art from the Lilly and Francis Robicsek Collection exhibits paintings, sculptures, silver and furniture from a period which uniquely illustrates the merging of European art, culture and aesthetics with those of the indigenous peoples of Central and South America and the Philippine Islands. The Spanish Colonial era presents a culture that constituted the first great flowering of European traditions beyond its continental borders, and the resulting transformation which gave the art of colonial Spanish America its special character and sensibility.
"This exhibition is a rich resource of Spanish Colonial art that the Mint is privileged to hold in its Precolumbian collection," said Charles Mo, Chief Curator of Art.
The Mint Museums are supported, in part, with a Basic Operating Grant from the Arts & Science Council, Charlotte-Mecklenburg, Inc.; the North Carolina Arts Council, an agency funded by the State of North Carolina and the National Endowment for the Arts; the City of Charlotte; and their members.
For further information check our NC Institutional Gallery listings, call the Museum at 704/337-2000 or at (www.mintmuseum.org).
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