2 - Art and literature, c. 1870–1930

Summary

The problems of preparing a bibliographical review of Latin American culture flow directly from the problems of the existing bibliographical materials themselves: fragmentary in nature, with few standard works, and many of those inaccessible. Even in literature, by far the most researched of the arts in Latin America, there are few classic histories either of the continent’s literary production as a whole or of that of individual republics. On painting and architecture, as well as music, the existing material for most periods is very sparse indeed. In addition, most works about ‘Latin American’ culture exclude Brazil. Although this review of the period 1870–1930 is intended to stand alone, the reader will also find it useful to consult essay IX:1 on the period 1820–70.

general works on cultural history

Pedro Henríquez Ureña, Historia de la cultura en la América hispánica (Mexico, D.F., 1947), trans., with a supplementary chapter, by G. Chase: A Concise History of Spanish American Culture (New York 1947), although barely more than an annotated check-list, remains the most useful of the general surveys. Also invaluable, if less objective, is G. Arciniegas, El continente de siete colores (Buenos Aires, 1965), Eng. trans. Latin America: A Cultural History (New York, 1966). S. Clissold, Latin America: A Cultural Outline (London, 1965), has appeal for the non-specialist beginner, as does J. Ocampo López, Historia de la cultura hispanoamericana, siglo XX (Bogotá, 1987), whilst J. Franco’s title, Society and the Artist: The Modern Culture of Latin America (London, 1967), has flattered a generation of readers only to deceive them, but remains a stimulating literary introduction.