In Latin America,
popular art offers a personal glimpse into the complex societies resulting from European colonization, the nineteenth-century independence movements, and the social and political events of the twentieth- and twenty-first centuries that continue to shape this diverse region.
This group of objects represents a broad spectrum of experiences, materials, and localities. There are works with traditional and spiritual functions, which hold deep meaning within their unique cultural contexts and were never intended to be viewed as works of art. There are also works inspired by contemporary socio-political conditions, as well as works made for decorative or artistic purposes.
Ex-Voto of Don Ramon Ugalde (1876) by UnknownSan Antonio Museum of Art
The genre of “popular art” includes a great deal of Latin American material culture with diverse expressions and uses. Popular art can serve as an emblem of religious belief and ritual, as seen in ex-votos and masks on view.
The term ex-voto is an abbreviation of the phrase ex voto suscepto, which translates to "in pursuit of a vow."
This vow was made to a saint or Marian devotion who answered a prayer or orchestrated a miracle, and an ex-voto would be commissioned in gratitude and dedication.
This painting would hang inside of churches or chapels, in front of the saint or devotion to which they are dedicated.
There are also works inspired by contemporary socio-political conditions, as well as works made for decorative or artistic purposes.
Framed Milagros (Mid-19th - early-20th century) by UnknownSan Antonio Museum of Art
This elaborate tin frame holds fifty-three milagros, also known as promesas or ex-votos. These small figures depict animals, people kneeling in prayer, and body parts.
They are hung inside of churches or chapels, offered as petitions to saints or sacred sites, or as symbols of gratitude for answered prayers.
The milagros seen here are intended to be viewed as works of art, as they have been taken out of their devotional context and placed together in an elaborate frame.
An essential purpose of popular art is to convey the universal human experiences of its makers and consumers.
Penca de balangandãn (19th Century) by UnknownSan Antonio Museum of Art
Formerly known as the Latin American Folk Art Gallery,
this space instead uses the term “popular art” to define this collection. This term more faithfully encompasses the kinds of artwork featured here, which includes objects that form part of living traditions alongside works inspired by contemporary issues.
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Visit the Latin American Popular Art Gallery
The cornerstones of the Latin American Popular Art Collection at the San Antonio Museum of Art are the collections of Robert K. Winn and Nelson A. Rockefeller, both of whom primarily collected popular art from Mexico.
The gallery is located on the first floor of the East Tower.
