Overview
The contributions of conquerors and immigrants have
enriched the native traditions, producing a culture that
completely integrates the most diverse customs.
Indigenous
remains, fortresses of the Colonial period and traces of the
“gaucho´s” life, combined with a rich urban architectural
heritage and an important number of writers, artists and
musicians.
The
Uruguayan theatre is worldly recognized, and all year round
there are plays, concerts, exhibitions and festivals.
The
Tango, the most typical music of the River Plate, is a national
cult, and can be heard or danced in different night-spots.
The
country's typical festival is Carnival – the longest in the
world – which combines authentic and original music and
choreographic forms, like the “murgas” and the drum-beating
“candombe”.
Uruguay
has given the world many writers, poets, thinkers, painters,
sculptors and musicians who achieved world-wide fame.
Uruguay is a unique case in the art world: the quality of
its creativity vastly exceeds the expectations of its
demographic dimension.
Among
painters, Juan Manuel Blanes stands out for his canvases
depicting great national historic events. His contemporaries
include Jose Cuneo, Pedro Figari and Joaquín Torres García.
Figari painted national themes: the dynamism of his figures lies
in an internal rhythm and not in outward appearance, his art
achieved a level of excellence attained by few painters. Joaquín
Torres García served as a catalyst for many present-day
artists, his paintings pose problems and propose solutions and
today are still a source of inspiration.
Sculpture
was influenced by many foreign artists who worked in Uruguay in
the early years of the Republic. Juan Manuel Ferrari may be
considered as the leading Uruguayan sculptor. José Belloni, the
best-known, was a realistic, non-allegorical sculptor who
brought to the public an appreciation of the day-to-day life of
the nation, its history and its folklore. Juan Zorrilla de San
Martín sought to transcend matter in the name of emotion or
thought, almost always monumental, as though the stone was
imbued with spirituality.
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