Faith and Fortune: Art Across the Global Spanish Empire brings together more than 200 sumptuous and inspiring works of art from Latin America, the Philippines and Spain made between 1492 and 1898. This exhibition, from the collection of the Hispanic Society Museum & Library, allows us to study critically the mechanics of colonization by examining the visual culture of the Spanish Empire. As artists, books and patrons moved throughout the Empire, the art created was beautiful, highly international and cosmopolitan. Visitors will see Latin American, Filipino and Spanish paintings, sculpture, printed books and textiles alongside each other, revealing the material and artistic connections.
Through the lens of great art, visitors will encounter the global, cross-cultural movement of people, ideas and artforms happening across both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. Beginning with the earliest episode of colonization — Columbus’s arrival in the Americas — the exhibition offers visitors important insights into the histories of resource extraction, the spread of Christianity, the development of racial categories and Indigenous resistance to conquest. These four centuries of art provide a unique perspective on the lasting legacies of colonization.
Organized by the Art Gallery of Ontario
Signature Partner
Generous Support
Supported by the Government of Canada/Avec l’appui du gouvernement du Canada
In this audio guide you can listen to the following AGO staff talk about key artworks in the exhibition: Adam Harris Levine, Assistant Curator, European Art, AGO; Gillian McIntyre, Interpretive Planner, AGO; Bianca Weeko Martin, Curatorial Assistant, Arts of Spain, Latin America and the Philippines, AGO; Tahnee Pantig, Guest Curator, Daguerreotypes in the Philippines.
You will also hear from the following community members who have close ties to the countries represented: Russ Patrick Alcedo, Althea Balmes, Niño Flores, Luis Jacob, Julius Poncelet Manapul, Bernardino Martin, and Norma Pantig.
Audio description of artworks help remove barriers to our collections and exhibitions. Artworks will be highlighted through creative audio description, a type of spoken language describing visual images or objects, which enables audiences to engage and pursue their own journey in relation to visual art.
This large-print label resource is a key part of the AGO's ongoing commitment to inclusion and accessibility and will continue to grow and evolve to better supplement engagement to both the web and in-gallery experiences.
BlindSquare is a free GPS app developed for the blind, deafblind, and partially sighted. The GPS technology will alert your device to each described audio stop, provide text-to-speech for in-gallery room panels and wayfinding directives in this exhibition. You can download the app from the Apple App Store or by using a QR code onsite. iOS compatible only.
