El Estadounidense Frederick Edwin Church Recrea Pictóricamente La Naturaleza Ecuatorial Para El Mundo

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El Estadounidense Frederick Edwin Church Recrea Pictóricamente La Naturaleza Ecuatorial Para El Mundo “El Corazón de los Andes”: el estadounidense Frederick Edwin Church recrea pictóricamente la naturaleza ecuatorial para el mundo Rafael Gómez* Introducción je sudamericano, las montañas del Ecuador y específicamente, su cima Frederick Edwin Church nació mas alta, el Chimborazo,2 marcando en 1826, vástago de una prospera fa- una influencia conceptual y estética milia de Hartford, Connecticut, Es- profunda en Frederick Church.3 Este tados Unidos de América, gracias a encuentro, producto de dos viajes la cual pudo desarrollar su temprano consecutivos a nuestro país, produ- interés en las artes y en las que des- jo la obra representativa del pintor, tacó tempranamente como bocetista “The Heart of the Andes” (El Co- y colorista. Su desarrollo, en lo que razón de los Andes), obra pictórica se conoce como la “Escuela del Río que cautivo la atención de Nortea- Hudson”, tradición pictórica que si- mérica y otros países, en buena parte guiendo la atención sobre la tierra, de la segunda mitad del siglo XIX, geografía y naturaleza norteame- sobre nuestra geografía y paisaje. ricanas, produjo las imágenes más sobresalientes del paisaje, lo llevó a El paisaje ecuatorial: registro espa- tierras distantes en las cuales buscar cial, descripción científica y arte co- la descripción perfecta de un entor- lonial no físico, al cual conceder la imagen ilustrada de una unidad en armonía. El medio ambiente físico de la Este ideal se hizo realidad al leer región ecuatorial ha sido registrado, apasionadamente la obra de Alexan- en tanto manifestaciones artísticas der Von Humbolt, “Cosmos”1, y producidas por la diversas culturas tomar como referencia del paisa- nativas, ya sea de foresta tropical, * Curador de la Mapoteca Histórica de Límites. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Movilidad Humana. 1 Los viajes, producción científca y signifcado de la obra del naturalista alemán, se describen en el ensayo “Alexander von Humboldt”, publicado en la Revista AFESE 60: 129 – 42. (3) 2014. 2 Bernard, Debarbieux. Le paysage selon Frederic E. Church et la réception de Humboldt parmi les peintres americains. 2005 3 Baron, Frank. From Alexander von Humboldt to Frederick Edwin Church: Voyages of Scientifc Exploration and Creativity. HiN VI, 10. 2005. AFESE 61 185 Rafael Gómez como de valles interandinos y foresta tiza y nativa), inserta dentro de la amazónica, a través de sus creacio- dualmente rígida y flexible, pirámi- nes antropoformas. Posteriormente de social de la colonia tardía para al siglo XVI, las expediciones euro- la Audiencia de Quito.4 El paso a la peas transformarían los diarios de descripción científica de la geogra- navegación de prácticos y capitanes, fía, su fauna y su flora, será tarea en diseños cartográficos con soporte de Humboldt, quien a partir de sus astronómico, a través de las manos exploraciones en los andes ecuato- de los Cosmógrafos de la Casa de riales,5 produjo una obra y síntesis Contratación de Sevilla, España. Las magnifica de la diversidad botánica cartas sugieren la presencia de los en el contexto de sus cartas isoter- grupos culturales del litoral, a través males,6 particularizando un medio de los topónimos, vinculados con ambiente de nevados y volcanes de una etnicidad histórica. los Andes Septentrionales. Para los siglos XVII y XVIII, la El siglo XIX en su segunda mi- descripción de paisaje, ahora a car- tad, vinculara a científicos y explora- go de expediciones científicas como dores, alpinistas y pintores, nativos y aquella de los académicos españoles foráneos, en la representación de un y franceses en búsqueda de la medi- territorio natural por descubrir para da universal de longitud, se traduce la atención científica y la mirada es- en una cartografía urbana, paralela tética. Este es el tiempo de Frederick a la graficación artística de monu- Edwin Church. mentos prehispánicos. La grafica- ción de la orografía andina, detalles La fuente conceptual: la “Escuela del etnográficos y la entramada foresta Río Hudson” subtropical y tropical, se presenta en la “Carta de la Provincia de Qui- Frederick Church, es tal vez el to y sus adyacentes” realizada en el más conocido representante de la contexto de la Misión Geodésica de segunda generación de lo que se de- mediados del siglo XVIII (1750). nominó, para la segunda mitad del Con respecto a la descripción de un siglo XIX, la “Escuela del Río Hud- medioambiente profundamente his- son” establecida por Thomas Cole y torizado, se destaca el autor Vicente del cual Church fue su discípulo, y Alban, quien retrata magníficamente que denomina a los mas reconocidos una topología étnica (criolla, mes- representantes de la pintura paisajís- 4 Vicente Alban fue un pintor nacido en Quito hacia 1725. En 1783 realizó una serie de seis cuadros para el naturalista colombiano José Celestino Mutis, obras que se encuentran actualmente en el Museo de America de Madrid. Junto a los personajes de mujeres criollas y nativas en traje de gala y en indumentaria tradicional, se armonizan una variedad de fora y fauna que sirven como fondo, pero también como contexto de las ilustraciones. 5 Humboldt, Alexander von. Voyage aux regions équinoxiales du nouveau continent, fait dans les années 1799 á 1804. 6 Humboldt, Alexander von.. Woodbridge isothermal charts. William Channing Woodbridge (cartographer). New York Public Library. 186 “El Corazón de los Andes”: el estadounidense Frederick Edwin Church recrea pictóricamente la naturaleza ecuatorial para el mundo tica americana del siglo XIX,7 refle- por los valles andinos entre sus dos jando a través de su diversidad en cordilleras y descendiendo al puerto la selección de escenarios y escenas, de Guayaquil. Mientras recorren las la búsqueda de su herencia en tan- mil y mas millas de su recorrido, des- to geografía.8 Esta tradición pictó- cubren paulatinamente la variedad rica supera la visión tradicional del de vegetación y especies de pájaros, paisaje, como temática pictórica, de así como la breve duración del día en una simple descripción topográfica y estas regiones. el limitado alcance de su búsqueda El primer sentimiento del artis- de escenas. ta sobre la belleza de las nuevas re- giones a conocer se expresa cuando 1853: la búsqueda del trópico y la alcanza el valle del Chota, al cual montaña ecuatorial señala como: La experiencia pictórica so- “Una visión que se presen- bre América del Sur de Frederick ta de tal incomparable magnifi- Church, se manifiesta en dos tiem- cencia, que debo pronunciarla pos, que corresponden a las dos como una de las grandes mara- travesías y que recuerdan aquella de villas de la Naturaleza. He rea- Humboldt, cincuenta y cuatro años lizado un par de bocetos flojos antes, pues ambas recorren las tie- esta tarde recolectados de la es- rras de Colombia y Ecuador y fina- cena. Mi ideal de las Cordilleras lizan con la exploración del Chim- esta realizado”10 borazo. En cierta manera, como lo señala Baron, Church sigue los pasos La admiración del artista, de la de Humboldt en los Andes.9 misma forma que Humboldt años El primer viaje, el mas lar- atrás, por la estructura morfológi- go de ambos, fue realizado entre ca de la cordillera septentrional de abril y octubre de 1853, partiendo Ecuador –dos sierras dispuestas de desde Nueva York junto a su ami- norte a sur y conectadas por una go Cyrus Field, al puerto caribeño alta meseta- de Ecuador -, se refle- de Barranquilla y accediendo por jaría en su obra pionera “The Andes el río Magdalena y luego por tierra of Ecuador”11 (Los Andes de Ecua- hasta Bogotá y de allí a la frontera dor) y que reproduce tal estructura con Ecuador, país que lo atraviesan geomorfológica, que converge en el 7 Avery, Kevin J., “a Historiography of the Hudson River School”, en American Paradise. The World of the Hudson River School. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 1987: 3 - 20 8 Howat, John K., Introduction, en American Paradise. The World of the Hudson River School. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. 1987: xviii 9 Baron: 3 10 Avery, Kevin J,. Church`s Great Picture. The Heart of the Andes. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. New York. 1993: 19 11 “The Andes of Ecuador”, c. 1855. Museo de Arte de Honolulu AFESE 61 187 Rafael Gómez centro de la obra, con el fondo de un Rémy Mignot, de Carolina del Sur sol que se alza o desciende. En esta y realizador de finos paisajes. Des- imagen, Church presenta su ideal de de el puerto Frederick Church es- composición: la planicie entre las cribió “El Viejo Chimborazo; 150 montañas, vegetación tropical re- millas distante, surge como una presentada por una elevada palma, nube blanca en el Este y se hace cimas nevadas y un volcán humean- un punto destacado para nuestra te –posiblemente el Cotopaxi-, todo jornada”12 Alcanzaron Guaranda ello con una iluminación que cubre y durante 7 días de buen tiempo, toda la escena. Church realizó al menos cuatro Hacia el 30 de agosto, el peque- bocetos de oleos o numerosos bos- ño grupo llegó a la ciudad de Quito, quejos de la montaña. Para el 5 de para el momento la mayor parte del junio, los diversos elementos pictó- tiempo lo habían consumido pelean- rico obtenidos en las jornadas de do con el medio ambiente selvático observación, habían establecido de Colombia, cuando en realidad los arreglos para su obra futura esos días y semanas habrían sido “The Heart of the Andes” (1859), útiles en las montañas alrededor de sin embargo nuevas observacio- Quito. Pero la incertidumbre climá- nes y bosquejos en el camino entre tica, dificultaba la observación del Guaranda y Quito, enriquecerían paisaje, incluso cuando coronaron el los detalles finales. En la vecindad Pichincha. Desde Machachi las nu- de Quito, ambos artistas descen- bes permitieron una visión parcial dieron hacia el valle de Chillo (los del Cotopaxi y con ello un rápido Chillos) y se alojaron en la Hacien- boceto.
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