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The Native American heritage of Peru is one of the richest
in South America. Although Spain gave Peru its language, religion,
and rulers, the civilization of the Inca has left its traces
throughout Peruvian culture. Archaeological excavations have
uncovered monumental remains of Native American societies.
Architecture of the Spanish colonial period, a fusion of Spanish
and Native American forms, is called Creole. In art today,
the indigenist school pointedly interprets 20th-century Peru
in a Native American mode. See also Latin American Architecture;
Latin American Literature; Latin American Music; Latin American
Painting; Latin American Sculpture.The descendants of the
Quechua and Aymará peoples populate the Andean highlands.
Many do not speak Spanish and have preserved the customs and
folklore of their ancestors. Along the coast and in the highland
cities, the whites, mestizos, and blacks live in a modern
Western style. In contrast to these settlements are the jungles
of eastern Peru, where more isolated groups of Native Americans
retain lifestyles similar to those of their ancestors.
Art and Architecture
Native American themes are strong in painting. During the
colonial period the Cuzco school was famous throughout Spanish
America for its religious canvases. During the 19th century
there were four major artists—Francisco Lazo, forerunner
of the indigenous school of painting and a portrait painter;
Luis Montero, known for his huge canvas Atahualpa's Funeral
(1867); Pancho Fierro, a caricaturist of popular social types
and customs; and Carlos Becaflor, a portrait painter.In the
1930s, following the lead of the great Mexican muralists,
a Peruvian movement—led by José Sabogal and Julia
Codesido—reflected deep sympathy for the indigenous
Peruvian people. Later, a reaction against the use of native
themes took place. In the 1950s abstract painting became dominant.
The Institute of Contemporary Art encourages new movements
in art, while the long-established National School of Fine
Arts is more conservative.In addition to the many monumental
Inca ruins, many examples of colonial architecture survive,
particularly religious and public buildings located mostly
in Lima, Arequipa, Cuzco, and Trujillo. In the Andean area
the Spaniards often built on top of Inca remains, and in Cuzco
one can see both types of construction. In colonial buildings,
Spanish and indigenous modes often fuse, blending into what
was called the Creole style. Moorish influence, which traveled
from Arab North Africa to Spain and then to the Americas,
is visible in what is known as the Mudejar style. Lima has
many examples of fine modern architecture.
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