This document evidences the state of art collecting in the city of Bogotá, specifically the preference for works from abroad, in particular ancient works, over Colombian and/or recent works. The individuals mentioned in this text were widely recognized artists active in the Colombian capital who were connected to the elites that owned artwork. Both the artists and the collectors represented the prevailing taste of the time. The text also presents the way the executive and legislative branches of the Colombian government mediated and controlled the development of the fine arts in the country. It demonstrates the construction of a national history associated with the canons, values, and moral judgments that gave origin to a modern art system in Colombia. This document should be read in conjunction with the verdict of the jury at the Primera Exposición Anual de la Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes de Colombia [“Actas de los jurados de calificación (de la 1ª exposición anual de la Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes de Colombia”), doc. no. 1132596].
The Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes of Colombia was not only the official venue for art education for the new generation but also the place where art, artist, artwork, collection, collectors, and modern art disciplines were recognized and legitimized. The works selected by draftsman, painter, and journalist Alberto Urdaneta (1845−1887) for the Primera Exposición Anual de la Escuela de Bellas Artes were the basis for the artistic models to be implemented. The government granted authorities in the sphere of art the power to judge the works presented. The prizes granted legitimized the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes as the place of modern artistic production with well defined and institutionally organized areas. Works by women—mostly from traditional families and/or the city’s bourgeoisie—were exhibited separately and competed for prizes amongst themselves; however, those women were not referred to as “artists.”