Museum of Colonial Art, Art museum in La Candelaria, Colombia
The Museum of Colonial Art occupies a 17th-century building and displays nearly 2000 works from the colonial period: paintings, sculptures, furniture, and manuscripts. The collection includes more than 75 oil paintings by a major master artist who worked during that era.
The building was originally constructed in 1610 as a school by a religious community and later served as a library. The museum itself was established in 1942 and houses works gathered when church property was seized and redistributed during the 1800s.
The name reflects the artistic period that defines its collection: religious paintings and sculptures from colonial times that conveyed Catholic faith to the people. The works show how artists blended European styles with local influences, creating their own visual language.
The museum is located in Bogotá's historic center and is open most days of the week, with morning and early afternoon hours. Admission is free, so you can visit the collection without any entrance fee.
Many pieces in the collection come from private church holdings that were seized during political upheaval in the 1800s. These works tell a story about the struggle between secular and religious power in the country's history.
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