Museo de Arte de Lima

Lima, Peru

Francisco Laso"La Lavandera" (1858)Óleo sobre lienzoMuseo de Arte, Lima

This morning I wandered through the Museo de Arte de Lima on this cloudy last day in South America. The Pre-Columbian ceramics and textiles were fascinating as ever, and I found some interesting paintings by early Modern Peruvian painters Francisco Laso, Teófilo Castillo, and Julia Codesido.

Julia Codesido. Cristo de la Cruz Verde, siglo XXAcrílico sobre lienzo, 67.5 x 48 cm

What caught my attention the most was an exhibition of the work of Josef and Anni Albers. I had not known of the work of Josef´s wife, Anni, nor had I known of their intense interest and experience in Latin America, and its influence on their artwork. The couple spent time living and working in Mexico, where Josef was inspired by the geometric forms of Aztec architecture and design motifs - which led to the geometric compositions in a lot of his work. While in Mexico, he also did a lot of his color studies using natural pigments found in the area.

Josef Albers, Adobe (Variant): Luminous Day, 1947/52Oil on masonite. JAAF: 1976.1.1382. 28 x 53.34 cm (11 x 21 inches)

Anni Albers, La Luz I, 1947Cotton, hemp, and metallic gimp. JAAF: 1994.12.247 x 82.5 cm (18-1/2 x 32-1/2 inches)

The two also did a lot of traveling in South America, including to Peru, where Anni studied textile designs, and incorporated weaving and textiles into her art in some very interesting ways. As I contemplate how to incorporate what I have seen and learned into meaningful lessons for my students and into strands of my own artwork, seeing this bridge between the Modern Art world and the ancient traditions of Latin America was a timely and intriguing find!

Anni Albers, Two, 1952Linen, cotton, rayon. JAAF: 1996.12.345.7 x 104.1 cm (18 x 41 inches)