Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Santiago de Chile)
Encyclopedia
The Chilean National Museum of Fine Arts ( or ), located in Santiago
, Chile
, is one of the major centers for the arts both in Chile and in the larger region of South America
. Established in 1880 (making it the oldest in South America), the organization is managed by the "Artistic Union" (Unión Artística).
The current building, the "Palace of the Fine Arts" (el Palacio de Bellas Artes), dates to 1910 and commemorates the first centennial of the Independence of Chile. It was designed by the French-Chilean architect Emile Jecquier in a full-blown Beaux-arts style and is situated in the Parque Forestal
of Santiago. Behind it is located the Museum of Contemporary Art
(Museo de Arte Contemporáneo) of the University of Chile, in which is also located the old School of Fine Arts
(Escuela de Bellas Artes).
The president of Chile
, Don Aníbal Pinto
, the minister Don Manuel García de la Huerta, Colonel Marcos Maturana
and the sculptor Jose Miguel Blanco together managed the creation of the museum, whose first director was the painter Juan Mochi.
In 1887 the government acquired a building known as "the Parthenon", which had been constructed by the Artistic Union for the purpose of hosting annual art expositions. The museum moved there and changed its name to Museum of Fine Art.
In 1901 the government decided to create an original building for the Museum and School of Fine Arts, and Emilio Jecquier was selected. The building was built in the Parque Forestal, a landscaping work by Jorge Enrique Dubois, who had been trained in the gardening school of Versailles
in France
.
Upon the completion of the building, it was officially inaugurated on September 21, 1910, as part of an International Exposition which formed part of the celebrations for the centennial of independence. The Museum has remained in the "Palace" ever since.
, strongly reinforced with Art Nouveau
details and touches of metallic structural architecture. The central entrance is through a gigantically enlarged version of Borromini's false-perspective window reveals from Palazzo Barberini
, which encloses a pedimented doorway entirely surrounded by glass, a Beaux-Arts touch. Through a broken pediment the squared cupola rises to the top. The internal layout and the facade are both modelled after the Petit Palais
of Paris
. The glass cupola
that crowns the central hall was designed and manufactured in Belgium
and brought to Chile in 1907. The approximate weight of the armour of the museum is 115,000 kg, of the glass of the cupola, 2,400 kg.
Architechtonically, the floorplan of the museum is one of a central axis marked by the entrance and a grand hall with a staircase to the second floor. In the grand hall, above a balcony from the second floor, there is a carving in high relief which depicts two angels supporting a shield. They are located in the semivault above the heads of two Caryatids that arise from the balcony, carved by Antonio Coll y Pi.
.
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
, Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
, is one of the major centers for the arts both in Chile and in the larger region of South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. Established in 1880 (making it the oldest in South America), the organization is managed by the "Artistic Union" (Unión Artística).
The current building, the "Palace of the Fine Arts" (el Palacio de Bellas Artes), dates to 1910 and commemorates the first centennial of the Independence of Chile. It was designed by the French-Chilean architect Emile Jecquier in a full-blown Beaux-arts style and is situated in the Parque Forestal
Parque Forestal
Parque Forestal is an urban park in the city of Santiago, Chile. The park was created on reclaimed land from the Mapocho River.Parque Forestal is located in the historical downtown of Santiago, west of Plaza Baquedano and east of Estación Mapocho...
of Santiago. Behind it is located the Museum of Contemporary Art
Museo de Arte Contemporáneo (Santiago, Chile)
The Contemporary Art Museum in Santiago, Chile is one of the major museums of the city. It is operated by the University of Chile Art Department. The museum is located near Parque Forestal behind the National Museum of Fine Arts....
(Museo de Arte Contemporáneo) of the University of Chile, in which is also located the old School of Fine Arts
School of Fine Arts
the School of Fine Arts is the official name or part of the name of several schools of fine arts. These include:America:*Alabama School of Fine Arts*Barranquilla School of Fine Arts*Carnegie Mellon College of Fine Arts...
(Escuela de Bellas Artes).
History
The museum was officially founded on September 18, 1880, and originally named Museo National de Pinturas (National Painting Museum).The president of Chile
President of Chile
The President of the Republic of Chile is both the head of state and the head of government of the Republic of Chile. The President is responsible of the government and state administration...
, Don Aníbal Pinto
Aníbal Pinto
Aníbal Pinto Garmendia was a Chilean political figure. He served as the president of Chile between 1876 and 1881.-Early life:...
, the minister Don Manuel García de la Huerta, Colonel Marcos Maturana
Marcos Maturana
Marcos Maturana del Campo was a Chilean military and political figure who served in the Chilean War of Independence and the War of the Confederation....
and the sculptor Jose Miguel Blanco together managed the creation of the museum, whose first director was the painter Juan Mochi.
In 1887 the government acquired a building known as "the Parthenon", which had been constructed by the Artistic Union for the purpose of hosting annual art expositions. The museum moved there and changed its name to Museum of Fine Art.
In 1901 the government decided to create an original building for the Museum and School of Fine Arts, and Emilio Jecquier was selected. The building was built in the Parque Forestal, a landscaping work by Jorge Enrique Dubois, who had been trained in the gardening school of Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Upon the completion of the building, it was officially inaugurated on September 21, 1910, as part of an International Exposition which formed part of the celebrations for the centennial of independence. The Museum has remained in the "Palace" ever since.
History of the current building
The Palacio de Bellas Artes, the current home of the Museum, is in the Baroque styleBaroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
, strongly reinforced with Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau
Art Nouveau is an international philosophy and style of art, architecture and applied art—especially the decorative arts—that were most popular during 1890–1910. The name "Art Nouveau" is French for "new art"...
details and touches of metallic structural architecture. The central entrance is through a gigantically enlarged version of Borromini's false-perspective window reveals from Palazzo Barberini
Palazzo Barberini
Palazzo Barberini is a palace in Rome, facing the piazza of the same name in Rione Trevi and is home to the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica.-History:...
, which encloses a pedimented doorway entirely surrounded by glass, a Beaux-Arts touch. Through a broken pediment the squared cupola rises to the top. The internal layout and the facade are both modelled after the Petit Palais
Petit Palais
The Petit Palais is a museum in Paris, France. Built for the Universal Exhibition in 1900 to Charles Girault's designs, it now houses the City of Paris Museum of Fine Arts ....
of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. The glass cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
that crowns the central hall was designed and manufactured in Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
and brought to Chile in 1907. The approximate weight of the armour of the museum is 115,000 kg, of the glass of the cupola, 2,400 kg.
Architechtonically, the floorplan of the museum is one of a central axis marked by the entrance and a grand hall with a staircase to the second floor. In the grand hall, above a balcony from the second floor, there is a carving in high relief which depicts two angels supporting a shield. They are located in the semivault above the heads of two Caryatids that arise from the balcony, carved by Antonio Coll y Pi.
2010 Chile earthquake
The building received substantial damage during the 2010 Chile earthquake2010 Chile earthquake
The 2010 Chile earthquake occurred off the coast of central Chile on Saturday, 27 February 2010, at 03:34 local time , having a magnitude of 8.8 on the moment magnitude scale, with intense shaking lasting for about three minutes. It ranks as the sixth largest earthquake ever to be recorded by a...
.