Don Francisco de Arobe and Sons Pedro and Domingo, 1599, Andrés Sánchez Galque; oil on canvas.
Museo Nacional del Prado, Madrid, PO4778. Image © Museo Nacional del Prado / Art Resource, NY
Transcript
Male Narrator: This painting offers a glimpse at the many layered stories of the people and objects in this exhibition. It’s a portrait from 1599, in which we see Don Francisco de Arobe with his sons. [rhythmic drums evoking period and mood] Born to an escaped African slave father and an indigenous Nicaraguan mother, Don Francisco became the leader of an independent African-indigenous community on the north coast of what is today Ecuador. Joanne Pillsbury:
Joanne Pillsbury: They had independent power. They were able to be a safe haven for other escaped slaves. They were able to work with indigenous populations. They were a fearsome threat to the Spanish Empire in many ways.
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Male Narrator: But Don Francisco pledged allegiance to Spain in exchange for more territory and lavish gifts, many of which you see here. The traditional Andean overcoats, along with the Spanish doublets, or jackets, ruff collars, and wide-brimmed hats are made of textiles imported from Europe and China. Their gold and shell jewelry, however, are locally made.
The artist was one of the first indigenous students trained at a local school established by Catholic priests. Its aim was to bring European painting traditions to the New World.
Joanne Pillsbury: This painting closes the chapter on one trajectory of luxury arts, and opens a window onto a newly globalized moment of trade and exchange when we see the transformation of traditions in the service of new gods and kings.
Male Narrator: Timothy Potts:
Timothy Potts: The sixteenth century sees the arrival of the Spanish, the decimation of many of the local cultures and peoples. But also brings about this very rich intermingling of traditions. Approaches to making art, ways of living, are not fixed. They do hybridize; they do gradually come together in ways that have new meanings.
Male Narrator: Although we close this exhibition with the Spanish Conquest, it is not the final chapter in the story of luxury goods in the ancient Americas. [rhythmic drums and rattles evoking period and mood] Ongoing archeological research offers the tantalizing promise of revelations yet to come, about how Ancient Americans gave their precious works of art profound and complex meanings.
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