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Latin American Art: Ancient to Modern
"Offers an extremely ambitious book that covers the artistic creativity of the peoples of Latin America from the earliest Paleo-Indians in 20,000 BCE to modern times, and from the southern tip of Argentina in the south to the Rio Grande in the north. . . . Very useful for undergraduate and graduate students of Latin American art.""--Choice
"An important text for arts and humanities courses, as it relates the arts to the life and politics of each age. One of few recent books with this kind of broad coverage." -- Library Journal
"An ambitious treatment of Latin American art throughout time and space. . . . This kind of comprehensive treatment is sorely needed in the field of art history and cultural studies. . . . I would certainly purchase this book, both for my own personal reading and for use as a required text."--Eloise Quiñones Keber, City University of New York
In this history of the art of Latin America, John F. Scott traces the development of art in the region from pre-Columbian times to the present. Illustrated with 192 color and black-and-white photographs, Latin American Art spans all geographical areas and time periods.
Unique in its linking of pre-Columbian and Hispanic cultures, the book encompasses art forms ranging from sculpture, pottery, and painting to architecture, and cultures from the Ice Age to Classic civilizations, Native empires, and the colonial period of American viceroyalties, to independence and the 20th century. Relating the arts to the life and politics of each age, Scott addresses the major media, styles, and artists that defined each period, placing special emphasis on the areas that were the centers of high cultures and analyzing a few distinctive works from each, such as the Inca architecture at Cuzco and the great murals of Mexico.
Written in a straightforward and accessible style, Latin American Art will be an important text in arts and humanities courses. It will also be of value to art historians and to those interested in cultural studies, ethnic studies, and Latin America in general.
John F. Scott is professor of art history at the University of Florida. He has published several books on Latin American art, including Ancient Mesoamerica (UPF, 1987); Mexican, Central and South American Art; Art of the Taino of the Dominican Republic; and The Danzantes of Monte Albán, as well as numerous articles in English, Spanish, and German.
"An important text for arts and humanities courses, as it relates the arts to the life and politics of each age. One of few recent books with this kind of broad coverage." -- Library Journal
"An ambitious treatment of Latin American art throughout time and space. . . . This kind of comprehensive treatment is sorely needed in the field of art history and cultural studies. . . . I would certainly purchase this book, both for my own personal reading and for use as a required text."--Eloise Quiñones Keber, City University of New York
In this history of the art of Latin America, John F. Scott traces the development of art in the region from pre-Columbian times to the present. Illustrated with 192 color and black-and-white photographs, Latin American Art spans all geographical areas and time periods.
Unique in its linking of pre-Columbian and Hispanic cultures, the book encompasses art forms ranging from sculpture, pottery, and painting to architecture, and cultures from the Ice Age to Classic civilizations, Native empires, and the colonial period of American viceroyalties, to independence and the 20th century. Relating the arts to the life and politics of each age, Scott addresses the major media, styles, and artists that defined each period, placing special emphasis on the areas that were the centers of high cultures and analyzing a few distinctive works from each, such as the Inca architecture at Cuzco and the great murals of Mexico.
Written in a straightforward and accessible style, Latin American Art will be an important text in arts and humanities courses. It will also be of value to art historians and to those interested in cultural studies, ethnic studies, and Latin America in general.
John F. Scott is professor of art history at the University of Florida. He has published several books on Latin American art, including Ancient Mesoamerica (UPF, 1987); Mexican, Central and South American Art; Art of the Taino of the Dominican Republic; and The Danzantes of Monte Albán, as well as numerous articles in English, Spanish, and German.
280 pages, Paperback
First published October 31, 2000
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 15, 2019
A bit dry but packed with useful information
December 31, 2021
This is a fantastic guide to Latin American art, and it goes in a different direction than I expected. The author steps back and examines the region through the scope of human history, meaning that naturally nearly everything is about the art of indigenous, pre-Columbian cultures.
The book is divided into 5 chapters:
Ch. 1 is about the most ancient art of the Paleo-Indians and early pottery.
Ch. 2 is about the Formative period from 1000 BC to 500 AD, in particular the Olmec in Mesoamerica and Chavín and Paracas in Peru.
Ch. 3 is about the Classic civilizations of Mesoamerica and the Andes such as Nazca, Moche, Teotihuacán, and Maya.
Ch. 4 is about the Post-Classic or as the author calls it "Integration", focusing on the rise of imperial states such as Mixtec kingdoms, Toltecs, Chibcha, Wari, and later Aztecs and Inca.
Ch. 5 is about the colonial period.
Ch. 6 is about the independent republics up to 1990.
I was not expecting this, but I really appreciated the attention paid to the broad scope of Latin America - recognizing that its history does NOT begin in 1810 or 1492. Each culture gets several pages of text and sample art, there are plentiful maps, there is even a timeline that shows what happens in each period in the different regions of Latin America. There are several colored plates as well as a detailed index and bibliography.
As noted - this is centered on the major Amerindian population centers of Mesoamerica, the Andes, and the Intermediate Zone between them. Eastern South America and the Caribbean show up here and there, until the colonial and independence periods where they play a bigger role.
I would recommend this book to anybody interested in a survey of Latin American art history - especially from such a broad scope of time.
The book is divided into 5 chapters:
Ch. 1 is about the most ancient art of the Paleo-Indians and early pottery.
Ch. 2 is about the Formative period from 1000 BC to 500 AD, in particular the Olmec in Mesoamerica and Chavín and Paracas in Peru.
Ch. 3 is about the Classic civilizations of Mesoamerica and the Andes such as Nazca, Moche, Teotihuacán, and Maya.
Ch. 4 is about the Post-Classic or as the author calls it "Integration", focusing on the rise of imperial states such as Mixtec kingdoms, Toltecs, Chibcha, Wari, and later Aztecs and Inca.
Ch. 5 is about the colonial period.
Ch. 6 is about the independent republics up to 1990.
I was not expecting this, but I really appreciated the attention paid to the broad scope of Latin America - recognizing that its history does NOT begin in 1810 or 1492. Each culture gets several pages of text and sample art, there are plentiful maps, there is even a timeline that shows what happens in each period in the different regions of Latin America. There are several colored plates as well as a detailed index and bibliography.
As noted - this is centered on the major Amerindian population centers of Mesoamerica, the Andes, and the Intermediate Zone between them. Eastern South America and the Caribbean show up here and there, until the colonial and independence periods where they play a bigger role.
I would recommend this book to anybody interested in a survey of Latin American art history - especially from such a broad scope of time.
June 6, 2011
wonderful ilustration and esssays
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews