National Superior Autonomous School of Fine Arts, Lima, Art school in Lima District, Peru.
The Escuela Nacional Superior Autónoma de Bellas Artes is an art university in central Lima that offers training in painting, sculpture, and graphic design. The building combines neocolonial elements with pre-Columbian motifs in its facade design.
The academy was founded in 1918 under President José Pardo y Barreda and began teaching in 1919 under the direction of painter Daniel Hernández. It was among the first institutions in South America to offer systematic training in visual arts.
The name Bellas Artes refers to the classical tradition of fine arts that has been nurtured here for over a century. Students work in open studios where visitors can sometimes glimpse canvases and sculptures in progress through the windows.
The Cultural Center on the ground floor hosts exhibitions by young artists throughout the year and is usually open to the public. The workshops are located on the upper floors and are reserved for students during class hours.
Architect Manuel Piqueras Cotolí designed the facade with reliefs that blend elements from Chavín and Tiahuanaco with European baroque forms. This mix was part of a movement in the 1920s that sought a new Peruvian identity in architecture.
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