The Quito School are the artistic expressions (painting, architecture and sculpture) that were born in Ecuador during the Columbian era. Its development took place in the Royal Audience of Quito, a fact that helped give it the name with which it is recognized.
Specifically, its origin and rise dates back to the seventeenth and seventeenth centuries, thanks to the School of Arts and Crafts that was established in 1551 by the priests of the Franciscan court Fray Jodoco Ricke and Fray Pedro Gocial.
Years later this same school was transformed into the Colegio San Andrés, which currently maintains its functions.
The art of the Renaissance, characterized by the technique of "humanism", was its greatest influence. However, the development and implementation of new techniques was what allowed him to achieve admiration and approval compared to the colonial art of other countries.
Some of its most recognized exponents were:
-Manuel Chili, architect and sculptor, better known as “Capiscara”.
-Bernardo de Legarda, painter, sculptor and worker of metals such as silver and gold
-Vicente Albán, illustrator and painter.
Characteristics of the painting, sculpture and architecture of the Quito school
One of the most distinctive elements of this artistic doctrine is the use of the "incarnate technique". This technique consists of providing naturalness to the works based on the skin color of those who are painted.
The "incarnate" is used in both sculpture and painting, since it brings naturalness and humanism to the works.
An also striking feature is that the predominant settings for Quito art correspond to environments exclusively from the Andean Region. The natural landscapes of this region or its typical architectural structure give context to the meaning and development of the works.
This inclusion, moreover, gave rise to the representation of the native fauna of Ecuador, eventually accompanied by shepherds and similar characters, such as farmers and household women.
Cultural appropriation also manifested itself with the adoption of European sanctities, whose names and appearances changed according to the perception of their new believers.
This fact, in general, is a characteristic of all the nations that were colonized, especially those that were left in command of countries of the old continent such as Italy and Spain.
As for the preferred color palette, the ocher tones stand out in combination with cold colors. While, with regard to architecture, this line is followed through the use of bricks for the construction of monasteries.
As for the works made through sculpture, his goal was to pursue the details through small carvings. In addition, all the representations have a high degree of emotion. The materials mostly used for this were clay and plaster.
References
- "El Comercio" newspaper. (2016). Techniques of the Quito School, in a sample. Recovered from: elcomercio.com
- Ecuador Travel. (2016). THE ART OF THE QUITEÑA SCHOOL LASTS IN TRADITIONAL TRADES. Recovered from: ecuador.travels
- The Quito School. (2015). WHAT IS THE QUITEÑA SCHOOL ?. Recovered from: blog.espol.edu.ec
- CASIOPEA. (2014). Quiteña School, Camila Jeria. Recovered from: wiki.ead.pucv.cl
- Ecuador Art History. (2011). THE QUITEÑA SCHOOL. Recovered from: historiadelartecuador.blogspot.com