Hispanic Heritage Month II; Museum of Spanish Colonial Art

Museum of Spanish Colonial Art

Santa Fe, New Mexico

 

If you live in the East, really good Spanish art can be difficult to find unless you live near a large city such as Boston, New York, or Washington DC. Even then, the older treasures one sees trends more toward famous artists–Velázquez, Goya, Murillo, El Greco–and isn’t representative of Hispanic culture in general. 

 

 

To see the best of that kind of art it is often necessary to travel to the West or Southwest. The Museum of Colonial Spanish Art in Santa Fe, New Mexico, is not a large facility but it is one that samples images, sculpture, icons, and objects from the period in which today’s Southwest was controlled by Spain. (The museum also devotes space to more recent creations by contemporary artists.) You can find it on Santa Fe's Museum Hill, a complex of numerous institutions devoted largely to those considered minority groups.

 

  

As you might expect, much of Spanish art draws inspiration from the Catholic religion of the conquistadors. Hence, there are numerous religious paintings and icons of saints. One of the more interesting saints is St. Isadore, the farmer saint. He was an 11th century figure, but his common man status and his reputation for kindness toward animals and the poor have made him an ever-lasting one–a sort of Spanish St. Francis of Assisi, if you will. It is intriguing to see how later representations of St. Isadore are less medieval and more peasant-like. Surprisingly, there are also numerous takes on Kateri Tekakwitha, also known as Lily of the Mohawks. She gained fame for her vow of virginity and was the first Native American to be canonized, but she was decidedly not from the Southwest. She spent her life (1656-80) in what is now New York State.

 

 

 

 

 

But it is not just religious art that is on display. Craft has gotten its long overdue recognition as fine art. Weaving, for example, can be as complex as any oil painting or sculpture. So too can be a carved wooden headboard. The Spanish also earned their well-deserved reputation for eye-catching ceramic tile work.

 

St Anthony

 

 

St. Michael

 

 

In the end, though, it is hard to get around the fact that there are simply a lot of saints in Hispanic art. Well-known venerated figures such as Saint Anthony and Saint Michael abound. As you can anticipate, carvings and paintings of Jesus also proliferate, as do examples of religious medals. A well-executed tin medal of the Holy Spirit caught my eye.

 

 

 

 

This small museum is often overlooked, as it stands in the shadow of the International Folk Art Museum and several devoted to Native American art. Don't make the mistake of ignoring it; the next time you are in Santa Fe spend an hour or so with the older art inside the Museum of Spanish Colonial Art and then wander over to the contemporary exhibits. I think you will be happy that you did so.

 

Rob Weir