From the Andes to the West Indies: Spanish Colonial Paintings from the Thoma Collection presents a panorama of painting from Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, Cuba, and Puerto Rico dating from circa 1600 to the mid-19th century. This selection of 26 works includes oil paintings on canvas and small, delicately rendered works in oil on copper. The variety of styles underlines the great diversity among works of art broadly called “Spanish Colonial.” The themes of the majority of the works reflect the important role played by the Catholic Church during three centuries of Spanish rule. The portraits featured in the exhibition were commissioned to celebrate the social status of both peninsular Spaniards and Creoles, those born of Spanish families in the Americas.
This exhibition was originally scheduled to close on December 31, 2022, but has been extended through January 8, 2023.