El Salvador Art

El Salvador art is everywhere. In many town you can find miniature pottery, wood carving, paintings and even weaving on hand driven looms!

Let me tell you about some of them...

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Salvadoreans love for life is depicted in the crafts, arts, paintings and sculptures which are based on every day activities and things.

There are many museums, that showcase El Salvador art and that are worth visiting while there.

El Salvador Sculptures

In the city of San Salvador and throughout the rest of the country, there are many sculptures and monuments that give testimony to the the beauty of El Salvador art.

One sculptor that left a great legacy in El Salvador art is Valentín Estrada (1902 - 1987). During his life time he created about 250 sculptures, mostly on stone, but some were done on bronze.

Many of these sculptures can be found in public areas throughout the country.

It's been said that Valentín Estrada validated the art of sculpting in El Salvador. He trained and studied in Spain.

In 1928 he sculpted his most impressive and imposing work which is the 2.20 meter statue of Chief Indian Atlacatl (which is actually a resemblance of himself).

This sculpture was named Atlacatl in recognition of the Chief's efforts against the invading forces of his time.

Some of his other beautiful works include the Rotonda de los Próceres (above) which is located in Los Planes de Renderos.

The Obelisco y Medallón (below left) which is found in Los Planes de Renderos as well, was sculpted by Valentín Estrada in the 1950's.

Another one of his monuments (below center) is found in park Balboa in Los Planes de Renderos but I'm not sure of the name of it. But it sure is a beautiful piece of art.

In Parque Balboa (below right) is another one of his works named Monumento a la Madre (Monument to Mothers)

Literature

Among some of El Salvador's famous poets and writers is Alberto Masferrer (1868 - 1932). In his time, he became a poet, speaker, journalist and at the age of 24 he published his first book entitled Páginas (Pages).

He also occupied public office and was consul to Belgium for a period of time. Some of his works are: Ensayo sobre el Destino (Essay on Destiny), Las 7 Cuérdas de la Lira (The 7 strings of the Lira) and Dinero Maldito (Cursed Money).

In 1926 Salarrué travelled to the United States to study art. His first book entitled Cristo Negro (Black Christ) was published in 1926.

Some of his other well known works are Cuentos de Cipotes published in 1945 and Cuentos de Barro published in 1939.

Cuentos de Cipotes is a compilation of children stories composed by him which display the rich human perspectives of life as well as his childish visions.

Today, many of his works are study material for schools in the area of literature. A National Exhibition Hall in Cuscatlán Park has been named after him.

Paintings and Crafts

The small town of La Palma is known for the beautiful and colourful art found in it. From framed paintings, to murals to beautiful crafts, it can all be found in La Palma.

In this town, an internationally known Salvadorean artist developed the arts and the results have been outstanding. The artisan industry is now the major employer in this town. Even on the sidewalks you can see creative art.

Here is a small sample of the crafts made in La Palma, beautiful jewelry cases.

And this one is a classic, a wood carving of a Native Indian, very detailed work!

I recommend visiting La Palma on your next trip to El Salvador, there is so much to see here and you can also visit a local museum. For those who enjoy hiking, there are tours to El Pital, a nearby volcano.

There are many beautiful sides to Salvadorean art, there is so much to see, admire and appreciate in museums and smaller towns in which art has become a way of life.

I have found that the best way to discover El Salvador art is by taking the Artisan Tour and visiting other town renowned for their arts and craft like Ilobasco and San Sebastián. Suchitoto is also a beautiful colonial town that is rich in arts and culture.

Do you have a comment, story or question about the arts and crafts in El Salvador? Write to us, we'd like to hear from you!

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