Colombian Art

Colombian art created over the centuries in a rich range of styles and mediums offers an intriguing insight into the region’s cultural and political past. Archeological evidence suggests that ceramics have been produced in Colombia as early as 3,000 BC, which is earlier than anywhere else in the Americas. Pre-colonial gold craftsmanship is displayed in sumptuous glory in Bogota’s Museo del Oro. And the Quimbaya is another must-visit Colombian museum.

Spanish Catholicism had a strong impact on art in Colombia from the 16th to the 18th centuries, and the popular Baroque style was replaced with Rococo when the Bourbons ascended to the Spanish crown. More recently, Colombian artists Pedro Bel Gómez and Santiago Martínez Delgado started the Colombian Mural Movement in the 1940s, which made use of the neoclassical features of Art Deco. Botero is probably the most widely known artist from Colombia.

Colombian architecture is mainly derived from adopting European styles to local conditions, and Spanish influence, especially Andalusian, can be easily seen.  The Teatro Colon in Bogota is a lavish example of Colombian architecture from the Republican period, and the Archbishopric Cathedral also in the capital, was made in the neoclassic style in 1792, by Colombian architect Domingo de Petres. Rogelio Salmona, whose works are noted for their use of red brick and natural shapes, is a widely known architect, and he won the Alvar Aalto Medal in 2006.