Exuberant images in the Andean domestic setting: Inventories, private art collecting and provenance trends in viceregal Santiago, Chile (1650–1750)

Abstract The paintings and engravings featured in household settings of the viceregal Andes have received little scholarly attention. However, the astounding number of two-dimensional works of art catalogued in inventories of household goods in Santiago, Chile, from 1650 to 1750 attests to this city’s role as a vibrant colonial hub before the nineteenth century. Inventories from viceregal wills and dowries provide valuable insight into the robust artistic collections that graced the residences of Santiago and nearby haciendas. A striking characteristic of these inventories is the information they reveal about the origins of many individual pieces and series of works, offering a window into provenance trends over time. Specifically, these records document a shift in taste toward works of art from Cuzco, Peru, at the close of the seventeenth century, and a shift away from those of European origin.