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Contributor: Tara Ondra. Lesson ID: 13178
You've probably heard of DaVinci, Monet, Van Gogh, or Picasso. But have you heard of Diego Rivera, Roberto Matta, or Oswaldo Guayasamín? Let's discover Latin American Art!
Do you recognize any of these paintings? What does each painting represent? What can we learn about the artist and his or her culture from the painting?
To understand art, we must first understand the origins of the master behind each work. The pieces you saw above were all painted by Latin Americans.
Latin America refers to the Spanish or Portuguese nations of Central America, South America, and the Caribbean. In total, there are 33 countries with distinct cultural, geographical, and political realities.
As with art in any part of the world, Latin American art is a reflection of the society in which the artist lives, including culture, religion, and politics. A differentiating factor in Latin America is the unifying trend among these countries in their history of conquest, slavery, and imperialism. Likewise, these countries are unified today in confronting the challenges of underdevelopment, environmental degradation, poverty, and inequality. Additionally, the unique blend of indigenous, European, and African cultures of each country is apparent in Latin American art.
Let's look at a few contemporary (1900s - today) painters.
If you think you get it, click NEXT to continue with the Got It? section.
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