Brooklyn Museum acquires rare work from colonial Peru

July 9, 2012 Brooklyn Eagle Staff
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Associated Press

The Brooklyn Museum has acquired a rare secular painting from colonial Peru.

“A Merry Company along the Banks of the Rimac (REE’-mahk) River” was painted in the 18th century in Lima. It comes from the viceroyalty of Peru.

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The museum purchased the painting by the unknown artist with proceeds from the sale of another work in its collection.

It says it’s a work that would have been displayed in an elite household “as a visible demonstration of the owner’s … privilege within the Spanish empire.”

It shows a multi-racial group of people enjoying the grounds of a country estate.

A majority of surviving Spanish colonial paintings are religious in nature.

The work will be a highlight of a show at the museum next year.


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