Academy of San Carlos, Art gallery and school in Centro Histórico, Mexico City, Mexico
The Academy of San Carlos is an art school and gallery in the Centro Histórico of Mexico City, housed in a neoclassical building with a glass and iron dome. The structure combines teaching spaces with public exhibition halls displaying paintings, sculptures and prints.
Charles III of Spain founded the school in 1781 as the first major art academy on the American continent, aiming to spread European artistic standards. After Mexico's independence, the institution evolved into a center for national artistic movements and trained generations of Mexican painters and sculptors.
The institution carries the name of its royal founder and displays plaster casts of ancient sculptures that have served as teaching models since the 18th century. This collection now allows visitors to understand the classical training method in which aspiring artists copied European masterworks.
The building stands northeast of the Zócalo, just a few streets from the main square, and remains open to visitors even during the academic term. Some galleries may close during university events, so visiting in the morning on weekdays is advisable.
Diego Rivera and José Clemente Orozco studied here in their youth and learned techniques they later used in their large murals. Rivera left his training early, however, finding the academic rigidity too confining, and developed his own style only after traveling to Europe.
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