The New Orleans Museum of Art has developed a unique Arts of the Americas collection, surveying the cultural heritage of North, Central and South America. The Latin American collection ranges from the pre-Columbian period through the Spanish Colonial era and is especially rich in objects from the great Mayan culture of Mexico and Central America, and in painting and sculpture from Cuzco, the fabulous Spanish capital of Peru. The Native American collection includes works of art from the ancient Anasazi peoples to Indian artists and artisans still working today. NOMA’s collection of art from the United States provides a fascinating overview of the nation’s cultural history in paintings, decorative arts, and sculpture from the 18th century to the present day.
The New Orleans Museum of Art’s permanent collection includes noteworthy works by American artists from the 18th Century to the present day. John Singleton Copley, represented at NOMA by his Portrait of Colonel George Watson, was the most skilled artist practicing in the American colonies before the Revolution. Benjamin West, a trend-setter in the late 18th and early 19th Centuries, forecast both the Neo-Classic and Romantic movements in his paintings. Renowned portrait artists Charles Willson Peale, Thomas Sully and Gilbert Stuart are also represented with important works. A highlight of the collection is John Singer Sargent’s elegant Portrait of Mrs. Asher Wertheimer, painted in 1898.
NOMA’s collection of 20th century American art ranges from the Impressionism of Mary Cassatt to the modernism of Georgia O’Keeffe, from the Abstract Expressionism of Jackson Pollock to the dynamic and varied work of contemporary artists.
The Southwestern United States has been the homeland of indigenous peoples for more than 10,000 years. Over the millennia, drastic changes occurred in the natural environment, producing the semi-arid desert and mountainous terrain we know today. Important innovations introduced from Mexico made life in the harsh environment easier, particularly agriculture, weaving and ceramics.
By 1000 A.D., the population had increased and migrated to ceremonial and administrative centers where ambitious agricultural and building projects were focused. Painted pottery for ceremonial as well as utilitarian use became an important and abundant aesthetic medium. These great builders and artists are now commonly referred to as the Anasazi culture.
NOMA’s collection includes many fine examples of Native American art works from the Anasazi era through contemporary Pueblo peoples who are their descendants and the Northwestern Coast peoples of British Columbia.
pre-Columbian America
“pre-Columbian” refers to the many cultures that existed in the Americas from Mexico to Peru before the Spanish conquest in 1521. Highlighting the cultures of West Mexico, the Maya region, and Central America, the Museum’s collection introduces the viewer to the splendour and diversity of pre-Columbian artistic expression.
The varied environmental zones of Mesoamerica gave rise to numerous and diverse civilizations. Underlying this diversity, however, was a shared cultural co-tradition spread through trade and inter-colonization. Included in this common tradition were an accurate astronomical calendar, various religious and political concepts, and architectural and artistic trends.
Ceramic and stone sculptures seem most frequent, but painting, fresco, textile and metallurgy were all highly refined. The various pre-Columbian cultures all created objects with ritual or funerary purpose.
Spanish Colonial
In 1532, Francisco Pizzaro and his Spanish conquistadors captured the emperor of the Inca, Atahualpa, and initiated three centuries of Spanish colonization in South America. The Spanish conquest wrought enormous devastation on the indigenous cultures. However, a new and unique culture emerged which integrated elements from both the new and old world civilizations.
The concentration of secular and ecclesiastical powers in the cities of Lima, Cuzco, Bogotá and Quito encouraged their development as artistic centers. While these cities were quite Europeanized, the art they produced exhibits an inventive blend of aesthetic patterns reflecting the mestizo [mixed] Spanish and Indian character that developed in South America. In general, Spanish Colonial art has a highly ornate, glittering appearance achieved with elaborate gold stenciling and gold leaf. Jeweled ornaments were often affixed to the surface of the painting.
A fascinating code of imagery arose from the Catholic Church’s use of art to interpret religious doctrine for the native civilizations. The partnership between the Church and the Spanish State fell victim to the revolutions of the 19th century, however, and with the end of the colonial period also came the demise of the colonial art tradition.
