The Gold of the Americas: Sacred Brilliance in Renaissance and Baroque Art
23 March 2027
11:00am-12:30pm
Online or Rewley House 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA
Event status:
Applications being accepted
Location:
Online or Rewley House 1 Wellington Square, Oxford, OX1 2JA
Dates:
23 March 2027 - 6 April 2027
Study Format:
Online - live
Fees:
From £45.00 to £50.00
What makes gold sacred, and how has it shaped artistic expression across cultures? In this lecture series, you will explore the dazzling history of gold in the art of the Americas, from the Renaissance to the Baroque. Beginning with its deep spiritual significance for Indigenous cultures such as the Inca and Mexica (Aztec), you will discover how gold retained its symbolic power in the colonial period, even as European artistic techniques and Christian imagery were introduced.
Across the series, you will examine how artists used gold to create radiant works of devotional art – from the shimmering surfaces of Cuzco School paintings to the monumental gilded altarpieces and chapels of Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, and Bolivia. Through case studies including the Church of the Society of Jesus in Quito, the Capilla del Rosario in Puebla, and the Cathedral of Mexico, you will see how gold transformed sacred spaces into luminous environments of worship. Along the way, we will consider how Indigenous and mestizo artists adapted and reinterpreted these materials and forms, shaping a visual culture that was both deeply rooted and strikingly innovative. Designed for learners of all backgrounds, this series will offer new ways of understanding how materials carry meaning, and how art can express cultural resilience, religious identity, and creative transformation.
Please note: this event will close to enrolments at 23:59 GMT on 21 March 2027.
Book this course
You can opt to attend this teaching event either online (via a livestream) or in person at Rewley House, Oxford. You will be given the option of how you wish to attend during the enrolment process. You can only pick one option. If your preferred attendance format is fully booked, you can email us to be put on the waiting list. For those who wish to attend online, please read the IT requirements below before enrolling.
IT requirements
We will be using Zoom for the livestreaming of this lecture series, and you will be able to submit questions via the Zoom interface. Joining instructions will be sent out prior to the start date. We recommend that you join the session at least 10-15 minutes prior to the start time – just as you might arrive a bit early at our lecture theatre for an in-person event.
Please note that this lecture series will not be recorded.
Recommended reading
Bailey, Gauvin A. Art of Colonial Latin America. (London: Phaidon, 2005).
De Alba-Koch, Beatriz, ed. The Ibero-American Baroque. First edition. (Toronto, Ontario: University of Toronto Press, 2022).
Donahue-Wallace, Kelly. Art and Architecture of Viceregal Latin America, 1521-1821. 1st ed. (Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 2008).
Programme details
Lectures take place on Tuesdays, 11.00-12.30pm (GMT for the first lecture, BST for the next two lectures)
Tuesday 23 March
Sacred Matter: Gold in Indigenous Cultures of the Americas
We begin by exploring the spiritual and cultural significance of gold for Indigenous civilisations such as the Inca and Mexica (Aztec). We will consider how gold functioned not as currency but as a sacred material associated with the divine, light, and cosmic order.
Tuesday 30 March
Transformation: Gold, Conquest, and Colonial Art
We examine how gold was recontextualised in the colonial period, as European artistic techniques and Christian iconographies were introduced. We will explore how Indigenous and mestizo artists engaged with these changes, creating new forms of sacred art that reflect both continuity and transformation.
Tuesday 6 April
Radiant Worlds: Baroque Splendour and Cultural Agency
We conclude by exploring the dazzling use of gold in Baroque Latin America, from Cuzco School paintings to monumental gilded altarpieces and chapels. We will reflect on how gold shaped immersive sacred spaces and consider ideas of artistic agency and ‘counter-conquest’ in the creation of a distinct visual culture.
How and when to watch
Each lecture will last approximately 1 hour, followed by questions.
Please join in good time before each lecture to ensure that you have no connection problems. We recommend joining 10-15 minutes before the start time.
Fees
| Description | Costs |
|---|---|
| In-person event fee (includes tea/coffee and a pastry) | £50.00 |
| Virtual event fee | £45.00 |
Funding
If you are in receipt of a UK state benefit, or are a care-leaver in the UK, you may be eligible for a reduction of 50% of tuition fees. Please see the below link for full details:
Concessionary fees for short courses
Joaquin Cruz Lamas
Joaquín Cruz Lamas teaches History of Art at the University of Oxford and has taught Philosophy at King’s College London and Universidad Panamericana, Mexico. He did an MA in Christianity and the Arts at King’s College London and has recently completed a doctorate in Theology and Religious Studies on sacred architecture, Marian devotion, and religious identity in colonial Mexico. His research focuses on the intersections of theology, philosophy, and visual culture, and he is currently developing a project on the devotional practices related to the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Module code: O26P101ARL
Please use the ‘Book’ button on this page. Alternatively, please contact us on events@conted.ox.ac.uk to obtain an application form.
You can also register for individual lectures if you do not wish to attend the whole series.
You can opt to attend this teaching event either online (via a livestream) or in person at Rewley House, Oxford. You will be given the option of how you wish to attend during the enrolment process. You can only pick one option. If your preferred attendance format is fully booked, you can email us to be put on the waiting list. For those who wish to attend online, please read the IT requirements below before enrolling.