Honduran art

Murals in Cantarranas.

Honduran art is any artistic piece produced or that resembles the cultural patterns of the Republic of Honduras, which has been a facet that has existed with the very presence of the human being in the Honduran territory.

Honduran art today is a mix of various artistic movements over the centuries that mixes both Euro-Western and indigenous elements as well influenbce of afro-caribbean groups such as the Garífuna and many techniques such as realism, surrealism, cubism, abstraction, etc.

Pre-columbian art

See also: Pre-Columbian Honduras

Estela B of Copán.

They oldest presence of artistic pieces we can locate is with the arrival of migrations of human groups, hunters and gatherers who arrived at the isthmus at the end of the last ice age. Some evidence of the oldest presence of artistic expressions in Honduras that we have in Honduran soil are the region of La Esperanza in the department of Intibucá, La Cueva del Gigante in La Paz and the Footprints of Juan.

With the passing of the centuries we would see the settlement of sedentary cultures which would form the first population centers of Honduras. These centers, in addition to being dedicated to agriculture, would also become cultural centers, giving shape to more complex artistic expressions than in Past eras, here we can see the formation of the first forms of pottery, carving, and painting, many of these techniques had both eligious and ornamental purposes. Cultural influences eventually arrive from other places, it is worth highlighting the Olmec influence in the pre-classical period on Honduran soil in terms of the art found in vessels as construction techniques for urban centers.

Vessel from Los Naranjos archeological park.

From this onwards in Honduras there where stablisehd the two major indigenous cultural influences, Mesoamerican and Circum-Caribbean. When the urban centers began to gain a very important role in terms of trade routes and had a better organized society was when the Pre-Columbian peoples of Honduras developed a more sophisticated and much diverse artistic techniques of pottery, sculpture, painting, muralism, etc.

The most emblematic examples of this type of pre-Hispanic Honduran art are found in the ruins of Mayan cities such as Copan and El Puente, due to their high degree of remains of stelae, sculptures, carvings, and decorative ornaments such as jade for use in jewelry. In these Mayan cities, the painting techniques were perfected, which were characterized by using pigments with bright colors. Some Mayan buildings in Honduras still have samples and fragments of the color that painted them in the past, and it is known that there may have been Codex existed in cities like Copán, but until now, none have been found or preserved.

Lenca Pot from Comayagua department.

Another Mesoamerican people in Honduras that developed a sophisticated type of art were the Lencas; various museums have diverse pieces of polychrome pottery from this people made during the pre-classical and classical periods. The other indigenous peoples such as the Chorotegas, Pech, Tolupan, and Tawakha developed their own pottery and polychrome styles, adapting to their own styles and cultural reality in Honduran territory before the Spanish conquest. Architecture stood out greatly thanks to the fact that pre-Hispanic people used stone-based construction techniques. In addition to the Mayan cities found in Honduras, there are archaeological remains of other cultures such as the Lencas and the Pech, who also used to build pyramidal structures and plazas.

Gallery

• 
  Anthropomorphic sculpture in Los Naranjos, 1000 b.C
• 
  Mayan Incenciary cover, 700 a.C
• 
  Lenca vessel from the Ulua region. 900-800 a.C
• 
  Estela A, 732 a.C
• 
  Mable Mayan Vessel, 700–1000,ac
• 
  ceremonial cup, 763-820 a.C
• 
  Altar Q, 776 a.C
• 
  Mayan sculpture of Mayan rain god Chaac, 600-700 a.C
• 
  Dragon head from a Metate, 400-1000 a.C
• 
  Chorotega Vessel, 1200 a.C

Colonial art (1539-1821)

See also: Spanish conquest of Honduras, Spanish colonization of the Americas, and Spanish Colonial architecture

Main altarpiece of St.Michael archangel Metropolitan Cathedral.

Spanish colonial art in Honduras began to develop once the process of conquests and colonization of the territory began to consolidate, although by the middle of the 16th century with the founding of cities by the conquerors, churches began to be built that carried Roman Catholic artistic pieces. It must be noted that colonial art was mainly religious but had indigenous elements as a result of the syncretism between the local culture and the European elements of the Spanish settlers.

Original plan of the Caxa Real, an example of Spanish colonial architecture.

The predominant artistic style was baroque as a product of the counter-reformation, the artistic style can be found in most paintings of the time, in addition to artistic pieces such as the altarpieces of the cathedrals and churches placed throughout the country. due to the previously mentioned sicretism Honduras was within the artistic style called new Spanish baroque that was present throughout the viceroyalty of New Spain which was a derivative of the Spanish baroque with American elements.

The baroque style in colonial America was not only considered an influence of the metropolis but also had a significant role in the conversion of indigenous peoples to Christianity. The Catholic Church, together with the colonial authorities, used baroque art and architecture as a tool to attract and evangelize the indigenous populations there because the Spanish-American baroque is characterized by that mixture of elements.

When Spanish rule was at its greatest point, it was the time when Hispanic cities would begin to flourish as cultural centers. Honduras was no exception in the sense that in important cities of the region such as Comayagua and Tegucigalpa, it was possible to see how there was a flourishing. artistic and architectural, since there were constructions of various churches, monasteries, and other structures that gave more picturesque character to the cities. On Honduran soil, artistic works such as altarpieces, statues, and paintings were made to decorate religious temples. Several artists were trained in the region and in this way the artistic style of their Spanish teachers was transmitted to them.

During the last decades of the Spanish empire during the late 18th century and early 19th century the influences of other artistic styles such as Rococo (a product of French influence since the Bourbon dynasty would begin to reign the empire from the 18th century) and neoclassical, as an alternative style that sought to vindicate the style of the Greco-Roman cultures in Europe that would later be brought to the European possessions in America.

Gallery

• 
  Baroque pianting of the Cruxifiction of Christ
• 
  Portrait of José de Palencia.
• 
  Portrait of Fray Guadalupe López Portillo.
• 
  Painting of Virgen de la Merced from the 17th century.
• 
  Inmaculate Conception Catherdral altarpiece
• 
  Virgen de la Merced in Comayagua.
• 
  Inside San Fracisco Church
• 
  Interior of Los Dolores Church
• 
  Interior of Santa Lucia Church.
• 
  Colonial paintings from the Museum of The Cathedral of Tegucigalpa.

Republican art (1823-today)

Statue of Francisco Morazán in Tegucigalpa.

After independence, Honduras went through many changes, from being a province of the First Mexican Empire for a very brief time to being part of the Central American Federation, eventually becoming independent from it in 1838. From then on, there was a period of attempted consolidation as a republican state, and in terms of social system and culture, it was not very different from what it had been in colonial times. However, with the arrival of the Liberal Reform, Honduras would see an artistic and literary flourishing thanks to its openness to the world.

We would see the arrival of artistic techniques from western Europe and North America in the country and an increasing number of remodeling of public areas that required new statues and monuments that honored national heroes such as General Francisco Morazan. This art, more focused on nationalism, would serve to create a cultural identity to differentiate itself from other countries.

20th Centhury

During the dictatorship of General Tiburcio Carias Andino, an attempt was made to create a Honduran identity based on the rescue of elements of the Mayan culture but emphasizing the mestizo character of the country, as a people inherited from the ancient Mayan civilization and in turn descendants of the Spanish colonists, the union of their worlds, this movement promoted by the dictatorships was called the "Mayanization of Honduras."

Mario Zamora Alcántara, one the most famous Honduran sculptors of the 20th century, he worked in Honduras, Mexico and the United States.

With the arrival of the coups d'état and the military juntas, protesting artistic movements began. The best known would be the cartoons that criticized the governments of the country during the Cold War, in addition to paintings that rescued the indigenous past of Honduras as well as the working and peasant classes of the country. During this time the most famous sculptor of Honduras Mario Zamora Alcántara would arrive, who would study in Mexico and would create some of the largest monumental works in the country such as The So-Called Cristo del Picacho.

Many painters would be recognized in this period for representing the country in a pictorial way. By the beginning of the 21st century Honduras would see an artistic boom in murals, many of them closely related to the political unrest that occurred at that time, seeking to highlight the social character in them.

Gallery

• 
  Painting of President, Juan Lindo.
• 
  Stamp of President Bogran
• 
  Stamp of General Morazán
• 
  Lithograph of Tenapua Ruins,1881
• 
  Lithograph of Tegucigalpa,1891
• 
  Pyramid at Parque la concordia, Tegucigalpa
• 
  Painting of The chief Lempira, by Hidalgo Lara
• 
  Painting of Comayagua, by Jesús Valladares Tejeda
• 
  Lempira Monument

Music

Old Pipe Organ of The Cathedral of Comayagua.

Music has developed since pre-Hispanic times, the ancient Mayans already had their own musical instruments such as aerophones and Yaxchilán clay frogs. During the colonial era, new musical influences were received and after the independence of Central America the cultivation of music continued in Honduras, traditional music and instruments began to be rescued. In 1936, the Francisco R. Díaz Zelaya National Conservatory of Music (public institution) was founded.

In 1984, the incorporation of the national music conservatory into the national educational system was approved. Its graduates obtained a bachelor's degree in music, where Students are trained in various string instruments such as violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, piano, wind instruments such as flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, saxophone, trumpet, trombone, tuba, and also in instruments percussion with theoretical-practical classes. Among the various national groups and orchestras we have the National Symphony Orchestra, the Youth Symphony Orchestra, the band of the supreme powers and the national marimba "Alma de Honduras."

At an international level, the musical group stood out: 'Banda Blanca'; with his hits "Sopa de Caracol", "Fiesta", "Saben Quien Arrived", among many others. Although the group produces merengue rhythms, calypso and other Afro-Antillean rhythms, its specialty is the 'Punta' rhythm. Which became popular in the 1990s. Honduras has a deep-rooted Rock culture that stated thanks toAmerican inlfuence in the countrey that dates back to the 60s with the birth of groups like "Los Robbins", in later years groups such as Diablos Negros, Delirium, Le Fou, La Pared, Café Guancasco, Horus etc. joined the movement.

Cinema

El Xendra is a 2012 sci-fi thriller film, which challenged Honduran cinema for its UFO theme.

It could be said that the arrival of cinema was due to the liberal reform and the entry of several foreigners into Honduras, however, the true Honduran cinema began with the filmmaker Sami Kafati, who studied cinematography in Rome in the 1960s. His first cinematographic work was the experimental film Mi Amigo Ángel, produced in 1962 and is the first film in the cinematography of Honduras.

Other national productions are "No hay Tierra Sin Dueño" (1984–1996), a feature-length fiction film by Sami Kafati. Currently, the playwrights Hispano Durón Gómez, Mario Jaén, among others, stand out.

Some of the most recent films produced in Honduras are:

• "Anita, la cazadora de insectos", produced by Hispano Durón,
• "Amor y frijoles" by Guacamaya Films in 2009,
• "Souls of Midnight" (2001) by Juan Carlos Fanconi,
• "The Strange Body", by José A. Olay,
• "El Reyecito", by Fosi Bendeck,
• "Alto riesgo", by René Pauck,
• "Angel's Voice", by Francisco Andino,
• "Lado", by Esaú Adonai,
• "The Last Kidnapping", by José A. Olay, starring Marianela Ibarra, Nelyi Larice, Glen Lopez, Mario Sarmientos
• "We Don't Give a damn" by Regina Águila.
• "A Few with Courage" (The Birds of Bethlehem) by Mario Berrios, produced by Ismael Bevilacqua, directed by Douglas Martin (2010)
• "Quien paga la cuenta" by Guacamaya Films (2013) with the performances of Jorge Flores, Nelyi Larice, Ozcar Izacas, Sandra Ochoa, Maritza Perdomo, Anuar Vindel
• "El Xendra" by Juan Carlo Fanconi (2012)
• "Un lugar en el caribe" by Juan Carlo Fanconi (2017)
• "La condesa", by Mario Ramos (2021)

Honduran cinema has had a boom in the last decade, the growth of filmmakers and the support by institutions and private companies to contests has motivated young students of careers related to communications to create their own short films, documentary shorts and documentaries. The Ícaro Festival is the most important international film festival in Central America and the Caribbean. fter eleven months of discussion and its approval in the National Congress, the Honduran Cinematography Law came into force on December 6, 2019, after being published in the Official Gazette La Gaceta.

Photography

Tegucigalpa in 1862, one of the oldest photos of Honduras preserved.

Photography in Honduras began in the mid-19th century with the arrival of daguerreotypes. It is worth noting that there are photographs of Honduras that date back to the 1850s, with the first Honduran hero being the priest Jose Trinidad Reyes, who had a daguerreotype made posthumously.

Representation of a water lily in the Mayan culture by Juan Pablo Martell

The arrival of foreigners to the country led to documentation of the changes in the country over the decades. Many of these foreigners were North Americans who managed to take cameras with them and were able to see what the country was like at that time, and thanks to this, fortography would begin to gain recognition and be taken into account as another art within the culture.

One of the first photographers in Honduras was Arnold Theodore Williams, born in Jamaica but migrated to Honduras where he married twice, being in the apis already as a resident this document the life of the Honduran coast in the 20s from the lifestyle of the local people to historical events such as civil wars. Another one of the most famous photographers of Honduras was Juan Pablo Martell, who documented Honduras and its daily life in the 1960s and 1970s.

Gallery

• 
  A man walking in Tegucigalpa, 1904, Alfred Keane Moe
• 
  An Indigenous couple, 1904, Alfred Keane Moe
• 
  Sylvanus Morley in Copán, 1912, Phptographer unknown
• 
  Old UNAH building, 1920s, photographer unknown
• 
  León Alvarado Park, 1910, photographer unknown
• 
  The San Agustin colleague, early 1910s, photographer unknown
• 
  Soldiers during the battle of la Ceiba in second Honduran civil war, 1924, by Anold Theodore Williams.
• 
  Honduran soldiers, 1927, photographer unknown
• 
  View of Isla del Tigre, 1965, Juan Pablo Martell
• 
  An English church in Roatán, 1960, by Juan Pablo Martell

Honduran painters

Among the most influential painters of Honduras through the ages, we find:

• Santos Arzú
• Patricia Nieto Silva
• Roxana Ventura
• Martha Alegría de Valladares
• Keyla Morel
• Victor Lopez
• Armando Lara
• Jose Miguel Gomez
• Ezequiel Padilla
• Mario Castillo
• Felipe Burchard
• Jose Antonio Velasquez
• Ricardo Aguilar
• Pablo Zelaya Sierra
• Virgilio Guardiola
• Delmer Mejia
• Lutgardo Molina
• Pablo Zelaya Sierra
• Hidalgo Lara

See also

• History of Honduras