Monastic art of 16th-century New Spain: Art on the border of cultural spheres and scientific disciplines
Abstract
This study deals with monastic art that originated in the 16th century New Spain from the necessity to evangelize the indigenous peoples of Mesoamerica. Its aim is to present this unique art that emerged from the cooperation of Indian artists with European missionaries and highlight the mingling of the Western culture with the Mesoamerican and its artistic expressions.
The methodology of this study is based mainly on anthropology. This means that it queries the significance of monastic architecture and its artistic decoration in the form of wall paintings and sculptural reliefs importance, both in terms of early colonial so- ciety, and its individuals.
Peculiar attention is paid to the concepts of liminality, community and structure (V. Turner) as well as rites of passage (A. van Gennep).
Eventually, it discu- sses opportunities to study Latin American issues in Europe, it addresses interdisciplinarity and the study of art at the border of three disciplines: history, art history, and anthropology.