Spectacles of Power and Faith: Colonial South American Art from the Thoma Foundation
Spectacles of Power and Faith celebrates the expressive power of colonial South American painting and the centuries-old stories these remarkable works tell about faith, family, creativity, and community. Drawn from the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation’s renowned Art of the Spanish Americas collection, the exhibition brings together sixty-three paintings created between 1600 and 1850 in present-day Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, and Ecuador. Many of the works are recent acquisitions that will be exhibited and published for the first time.
Created by Indigenous American, European, and African artists working in South America’s vibrant cultural centers, these paintings reveal a rich artistic tradition shaped by the exchange of ideas, materials, and beliefs across continents. From luminous images of the Virgin Mary and beloved saints to intimate portraits and finely rendered paintings on copper, the exhibition showcases the extraordinary range and visual splendor of art produced in the Spanish Americas.
Organized around themes of devotion, identity, and daily life, Spectacles of Power and Faith invites visitors to explore how art shaped both public and private experience. Together, these works offer a compelling glimpse into a dynamic world where artistic innovation flourished, creating some of the most captivating images of the early modern era.
This exhibition has been organized by the Meadows Museum, SMU, Dallas, and the Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation, and is funded by a generous gift from The Meadows Foundation. Promotional support provided by the Dallas Tourism Public Improvement District.
