Paintings from Spanish America (1600-1800) from the Thoma Collection

This exhibition presents sixteen works from the collection of Carl & Marilynn Thoma. Together they display a panorama of artistic creativity from present-day Ecuador, Peru, Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba dating from 1600 to the late 18th century. The selection includes oil paintings on canvas and delicately rendered small works in oil on copper, revealing the dynamic character of viceregal or Spanish colonial art—a unique combination of styles influenced by European artists and imported prototypes translated and adapted by local hands. Most of the works on view reflect the Catholic Church’s significant role during three centuries of Spanish rule. Predominantly religious in nature, the paintings range from simple devotional images to complex allegories that require significant effort to decipher. These artworks once adorned the walls of churches, convents, and private homes across Spanish South America, inviting contemplation and prayer. 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.