Art and Architecture -- a mix of Spanish & Indigenous cultures

How does one try to destroy a culture?

Take some lessons from the Spanish conquistadors.  First, you need some germs to which the “natives” don’t have any resistance.  Then, you need guns, and horses help too, especially if the people in the area you are attacking have never seen horses before.  In the process, you kill, one way or another, all the leaders and many of their followers.

Those 3 things were the keys to the Spanish success in overtaking the Incans in what is now present-day Peru:  germs, guns, and horses.

The next step?  Destroy all of the buildings related to the culture:  the municipal buildings, the temples -- everything. 

Then, take all the stones lying around and rebuild the conquered territory using the old stones, covering any remnants of the culture that was previously there.

Simplistic?  Partly so, but basically, these were the steps the Spanish conquistadors followed in their destruction of the Incan culture.

The result, however, was not a clear-cut Spanish culture but rather a mix of the old (Incan) and the new (Spanish).  

This blog will provide you with a few examples of the mixture of the Spanish and indigenous cultures in Peru in some of its

     -- architecture 
-- art work 
-- other religious iconography

ARCHITECTURE: 
The Spaniards destroyed as many of the Incan buildings as they could, which was not an easy feat, given the fact that the Incas were masters at stonework.  The stonework was often so massive, though, that the Spaniards couldn’t destroy all parts of the buildings, so they often used the base of the Incan buildings for the base of their own churches, and then they used the smaller Incan rocks to build their own buildings on top of the Incan base.  The result is often a curious cultural architectural mix.

These are the base stones of walls at Sacsayhuaman, the Incan fortress in the Sacred Valley, right outside Cusco.  Some of these stones weigh 100+ tons, and the Spanish couldn't move them, so they remain.  However, all of the stones at the tops of the walls (and some say they might have been 30 feet high) are gone, used for other Spanish buildings. 

The Quoricancha -- Here, the Spanish left the black wall of the "Temple of the Sun," but built their own church, Santo Domingo, around it.  The walls of the terraces were made from Inca blocks stolen from other Incan buildings. 

 

This corner is an odd combination of pre-Inca stonework (notice that some of the block work is not as smooth), Incan stonework (the large, smooth stones with no mortar), and Spanish-style white plaster, along with a Spanish-style balcony. 

This is one of the few original Incan doors left in Cusco (notice the large, smooth, mortar-less stone and the trapezoidal door); it is used for the door of the hotel that Deborah/Gil stayed in. 

And while the current Spanish-style central plaza is beautiful, one must mourn the loss of the Incan palaces which were originally here, demolished, and built atop of by the Spanish.

Some Spanish architectural influences were definite improvements; for example, red tile roofs replaced the thatched roofs which were prone to fires.  And the Spanish-style balconies are often a delight to the eye, particularly those in Cusco. 

 

ART WORK:

During and after the destruction of the indigenous buildings, the Spaniards then brought their own religious painters to the area to paint glorious European-style pictures in the churches and other city buildings.  They used their paintings to teach the indigenous people about Christianity, and they also taught some of the more creative natives the art of oil painting.  This group of artists became known as the “Cusqueña School of Art”  because these indigenous artists didn't just copy the European masters; they added their own native touches.  

The indigenous characteristics of the “Cusqueña School of Art” mixing of art forms are these:

        1 - They made extensive use of gold leaf, particularly with the Virgin Mary and in the frames. Remember that gold was prevalent in this culture.
2 -  They painted with the colors they were used to seeing -- vivid reds, yellows, blues, along with earth colors.

        3 - The sacred shape of a mountain (apu) was mimicked in the clothing style of the women.
4 - They often used the native flora and fauna in their paintings.

        5 - They often used warrior angels in their painting (subliminal message?).   

We’ll show a few examples of pictures combining these indigenous influences in the religious art.

This picture is framed in a typical gold leaf frame, the most common type of framing decoration.  It also shows extensive use of gold leaf in the dress and crown, and you will also see that the dress is in the shape of mountain -- the sacred "apu" in indigenous culture.  

The most prominent element in this painting is the shape of the dress, mimicking the sacred "apu" mountain.  We also see the typical indigenous colors, particularly the red, and again, the use of gold leaf.

The "apu" shape is visible here too, as are the typical colors, particularly the reds and blues.  Also note the flowers of the area, and in the background, you see the local birds.

Again, note the shape of the dress, the colors, the local flowers, and the use of gold leaf.

Jesus on the cross in an indigenous-style skirt?  well, yes, in Peru. 

This must have been a popular image because here we see the picture in another church, with a few changes, but the skirt is still there.

The most well-known indigenous painter was Diego Quispe Tito, although rarely does one find a name on the paintings.  His most famous work, “The Last Supper” depicts the disciples drinking chicha, a favored native corn-based beer, and eating cuy (guinea pig), also a preferred meal.

RELIGIOUS ICONS and other imagery:

If you visit the cathedrals with a sharp eye, you will see many indigenous-influenced “Christian” characteristics.  Here are some examples:

Here we have the backdrop for an altar in a local church, and you see a sun looking over the scene. The sun was the primary sacred image for the Incas.  

And on the other side of the backdrop, you can see a moon -- also a primary sacred form in the indigenous religions.

These are 3 stained glass windows in the cathedral in Cuenca, Ecuador, but they are representative of Peru also.  Note the sun and the moon in the two side panels (moon in the left; sun in the right).  

This sculpture is shown in the most-favored indigenous artistic colors of red and blue, with some gold leaf tossed in for flash.

And here we have a very Latino-looking Christ (beard aside), complete with some gold.

and another very indigenous-looking Christ carrying the cross.

Our last two images are of rooftops.  The ceramic bulls are an important symbol of protection in indigenous cultures, and here they sit atop the roof of a Peruvian home along with a cross.  The people living in the house provide offerings to the "gods" to keep them safe.  Here we see small jars of chicha and various other offerings coming from their deep-rooted symbolism. These ceramic bulls originated in the Checa Pupuja community between Puno and Cusco. As part of their religious and magical culture, the inhabitants believed that the bulls brought happiness, good health, well being and protection to the family.  

And again we see the bulls with the cross, a common sight in many areas of Peru.

The mixture of the Spanish culture and the indigenous cultures in Peru has created a vibrant artistic culture, but one has to be saddened at all that was lost.  Imagination works, yes, but it would be nice to see more examples of the fabulous works of the Incas and their predecessors.