The Ministry of Culture in Spain has signified that there exists a multitude of instances of colonial material culture within the country’s state museums. This includes, but is not limited to, pieces of Iberian archaeological artifacts that have been preserved and displayed in the National Archaeological Museum. An additional example could be found in the viceregal art pieces that are a part of the painting collection of the Museum of America located in Madrid.
This information was shared in a parliamentary response to inquiries posed by popular deputies Pablo Hispán and Soledad Cruz-Guzmán. They sought to understand the presence and representation of colonial culture in Spain, specifically asking if there were instances of such in various Spanish museums, including prominent ones such as the Prado Museum or the Reina Sofía.
The response, however, did not mention the Prado or the Reina Sofía specifically. Instead, it was noted that there was no cataloging of colonial culture within the Naval Museum. The RAE, after consulting with the Ministry of Science, has also stated that promoting colonial culture is not one of its objectives.
Despite this, the department led by Ernest Urtasun clarified that the works of the RAE, including the Dictionary of the Spanish Language, the Pan-Hispanic Dictionary of Legal Spanish, and many others, incorporate contributions from all the Academies of the American States in a significant manner.
The Ministry of Culture further acknowledged that there are indeed various examples of colonial culture that have been preserved in the collections of Spanish state museums. This includes Iberian art, viceregal painting, and African art.
The Ministry of Culture highlighted the artistic examples of Iberian art from the Ancient Age, which was heavily influenced by colonizing peoples of the Western Mediterranean, until the arrival of the Roman Empire which led to a complete transformation of their cultural forms. They pointed out that important Iberian archaeological remains that represent colonial culture are preserved in the National Archaeological Museum (MAN). They further clarified that this museum already has a Department of Protohistory and Colonizations.
Furthermore, post the conquest of America in 1492, a lengthy process of colonization began which lasted until the end of the 19th century. This led to the imposition of European cultural forms over the artistic manifestations that were being produced by the diverse communities that inhabited the conquered territories.
An instance of this cultural imposition, according to the Ministry of Culture, would be the viceregal painting that is preserved in both Spanish and American museums and churches. The painting collection of the Museum of America in Madrid is cited as an outstanding example of this.
This discussion also brings up the Spanish presence in the Philippines, which lasted from 1565 to 1898. This resulted in a significant number of colonial cultural manifestations that reached American territory via trade routes, thereby promoting the incorporation of oriental elements.
ART FROM AFRICA
The department also categorizes examples of “material culture produced during the last of the colonizing processes” that transpired in Africa between the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, as colonial culture. They explained that the General Directorate of African Squares and Provinces, renamed as such in 1956 after Morocco declared independence, spearheaded the creation of the Museum of Africa.
This museum started gathering a collection of archaeological and ethnographic objects and also held a painting contest based on African themes. It was operational between 1961 and 1973. After the museum closed, over 1,000 pieces from its collection were transferred to the current National Museum of Anthropology and the National Archaeological Museum.
Concurrently, the Ministry of Culture emphasizes that there is an ongoing global debate about the pieces and works of art from the colonial period that are located outside their countries of origin. They stated that they will follow this issue very closely and in line with the international commitments assumed by Spain.
WHAT IS COLONIAL CULTURE?
Lastly, the Ministry of Culture defines colonial culture as a collection of cultural manifestations that occur in a community under the presence of another foreign human group that exercises a dominant position.
They explain that in the successive colonizations that have occurred since ancient times, colonial culture develops after the introduction of the cultural forms of the colonizer, which modify the manifestations that until that moment were characteristic of the original communities. This phenomenon significantly influences the economic, social, and cultural processes, beyond the term that each colonial State uses when naming the administrative structure of the colonized territories.
