Description:
man in a blue military jacket on a white horse in a cobbled street with white buildings and red tile roofs. He lifts his hand toward a dark-haired woman in a black skirt and red military jacket who lifts her hand in return. Bearded man in green coat on right; man in blue military jacket and white pants on left
Label Text:
“This country should not be named Bolivia in my honor, but Padilla or Azurduy, because it was they who made it free.”
—Simon Bolívar
This print is from the series Bolívar Between Dream and Reality, a painterly illustration of the Latin American “liberator” Simon Bolívar (1783–1830). The artist also pays homage to Juana Azurduy (1780–1862), a pivotal female military leader who fought against Spanish rule. This brightly lit screen print reimagines the meeting of the two heroes on the cobblestone streets of the picturesque town of Chuquisaca, Bolivia. The warmth of the sun reflecting off of the clay gables, and the uniformity in the smiles of the people, almost bring to life the sound of church bells ringing.
Bolívar’s heroic stature is emphasized by his position atop a bright white horse. Baptista depicts Azurduy in a bright red military jacket which is in contrast to the historical account of the actual visit, when Bolívar found Azurduy destitute and dressed in rags. The artist is bringing back the dignity that was taken from Azurduy when she was forced to the periphery of the country she fought to liberate. In Bolívar y Juana Azurduy we can imagine that in this glorious moment Bolívar expressed to Azurduy how Bolivia should bear her name and not his own.
—Label text by Ana Sofia Rosas, Ada Comstock Scholar
Tags:
military; narrative Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=SC+2016.56.21 |
