News Archive
"Ouro Preto: Opulence and Splendor"
Lecture by Mónica Domínguez Torres and David Amot
"Ouro Preto: Opulence and Splendor" presents a journey through the history and art of Ouro Preto, one of the most important cities of colonial Brazil. Declared in 1980 a World Heritage site by Unesco, Ouro Preto is home to sumptuous churches, monasteries, and civic buildings, erected during the Brazilian gold rush of the 18 th century. Many of these monuments were designed and decorated by Antonio Francisco Lisboa, "O Aleijadinho," an idiosyncratic artist of a highly expressive style. With their dramatic, even theatrical interior and exterior decorations, Aleijadinho's works epitomize a unique moment of opulence and splendor in Brazil's history. Mónica Domínguez Torres is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Art History of the University of Delaware, where she also holds a joint appointment in Latin American Studies. She specializes in the arts of colonial Latin America, in particular, in the interaction of indigenous and European visual cultures during the 16th and 17th centuries. She received a B.A. in Fine Art from the Universidad Central de Venezuela, a Masters in Museum Studies and a Ph.D. in the History of Art from the University of Toronto, Canada. She worked as a curator at the National Gallery of Art in Caracas, Venezuela, and wrote the catalogue raisonné for the collections of 17th and 18th century painting. In January 2005, Prof. Domínguez directed a study abroad program in Brazil, where she lectured on the art and architecture of colonial Brazil. David Amott will co-present this lecture with Professor Domínguez. A PhD student in the Department of Art History at the University of Delaware, David's dissertation project focuses on the interconnections between Church, space, and society in colonial Brazil. WHERE: BACI (The Brazilian American Cultural Institute), 4179 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington DC (Tenleytown Metro) WHEN: Friday, November 2, at 6:30 p.m. For more info, visit The Brazilian American Cultural Institute
