Ars liberalis: The Art of the Academy

The establishment of the first art academies during the Renaissance was motivated by a desire to elevate art, especially painting and sculpture, to the status of a liberal and intellectual discipline, on par with other areas of human knowledge such as grammar and mathematics. Academic education put an end to the medieval perception of art as a manual labor without prestige. It was recognized from then on as ars liberalis, an activity of a spiritual nature. The academies also promoted the adoption of rules and principles in artistic instruction, such as copying the works of great masters and casts of classical sculptures, as well as studying geometry, human anatomy, and classical literature.

During the seventeenth century, art academies were founded in the principal cities of Europe. The Académie royale de peinture et de sculpture in France, created in 1648 under royal patronage, became one of the most influential. This academy established a hierarchy of pictorial genres, where history painting—inspired by mythology, the Bible, literature, and classical history—was the most valued, followed by portraiture. Academic art, which presented an idealized view of nature, also fostered the creation of highly finished works through the mastery of color and form.

Ars liberalis: The Art of the Academy highlights a selection of works from the collection of the Museo de Arte de Ponce, made by artists affiliated with prestigious European art academies. Spanning the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, these works exemplify how these artists adhered to the principles of academic art with great skill.

This exhibition is made possible through funds provided by the Comisión Especial Conjunta sobre Fondos Legislativos para Impacto Comunitario.