The The discourse of the "Amazonian country" on the mural El Descubrimiento del Río Amazonas of Oswaldo Guayasamín

Abstract

This article is a part of the second chapter of the paper “Representations of the Amazon rainforest in Ecuadorian art (1930-2018)”, winning project of the 2018-2019 Call for Artistic and Cultural Projects of the Institute for the Promotion of Arts, Innovation and Creatives of Ecuador. The text explores the representation of the jungle on the mural El Descubrimiento del Río Amazonas (The Discovery of the Amazon River) by artist Oswaldo Guayasamín, located at the Palacio de Carondelet, official building of the Presidency of the Republic of Ecuador. The context of the emergence of this work in the 1940s is addressed, following the War with Peru in 1941 and the further signing of the Protocol of Rio de Janeiro. Likewise, the view of Ecuador as an “Amazonian country”, that was formed at that time, is analyzed.  The work seems to negotiate a Hispanic and indigenist visions of history, which provokes a reflection on its capability to contribute to a debate of national cohesion promoted from political power.