A Glimpse of Cultural Art From Around the World

What defines Latin American art?

Latin American art is defined by the region where the artist is from. Latin America commonly refers to the region in the Western Hemisphere where the nations speak Spanish or Portuguese. These regions include the countries of Mesoamerica, Central America, and South America.

What are some historical moments in Latin American art?

There are many important historical moments in Latin American Art. For example, the powerful ancient civilizations such as the Olmec, Aztec, Maya, Inca, and Moche created many strong artistic traditions. Later, the Colonial period brought many artistic changes to Latin American art, such as casta paintings that conveyed insights into Colonial society.

Casta paintings emerged out of Latin American art. The paintings depicted the Casta or cast system as different cultures mixed and married. The painting below was created in the 1700’s depicting the various cross cultures coming together.