Chile has given birth to many genius artists and painters, with the unique value of Chilean art legacy acknowledged worldwide. The US art galleries and museums also have Chilean paintings on display, enabling visitors to embrace Chilean art and familiarize themselves with the visual language of this country’s creatives. Here’s where you can see Chilean fine art.

Museums and Galleries with Chilean Paintings on Display

If you’ve long planned to make a closer acquaintance with Chilean art, feel free to schedule a visit to one of these art venues.

The Met

A quick search on the Met’s official website gives 217 results for Chilean art. Some of the exhibits include wooden figures and traditional Chilean clothing and accessories, but the collection of paintings is also extensive. The Museum owns over a dozen paintings by the world-known Chilean artist Roberto Matta. Widely regarded as a master of Cosmic Surrealism, Matta made a unique contribution to the development of contemporary Abstract Expressionism. The best-known works by Matta held at the Met include Being With (1946), Come detta dentro vo significado (1965), In the Palm of Dawn (1953), and a series of untitled works.

The Met also has several works by Claudio Bravo, a genius of the trompe l’oeil technique, who widely experimented with the subtle shades of white and created enchanting three-dimensional illusions. The painting one can see at the Met on display is his 1984 work titled Study Number 2 for Portrait of Mohamed.

Art House SF

Art House SF is a contemporary art gallery in San Francisco, CA, operating since 2019. It is dedicated to increasing the international visibility of artists by organizing new solo and group art exhibitions every two months. In a recent show dedicated to Chilean art, the gallery’s curators united works by Lobsang Durney, Eduardo Mena, Cristina Vera Aguilar, Beto Martinez, and Chuchin Gutierrez in a truly unique exhibit.

MoMA

The MoMA collection also includes many works by Chilean artists, including a vast collection of early paintings by Roberto Matta. Fans of Matta’s visual style can view Endless Nude (1938), Fiery Landscape (1940), Condors and Carrion (1941), and Joan of Arc (1942), among others.

These were the main US locations with original Chilean paintings on display. Yet, those who want a closer acquaintance with the art traditions of Chile may also extend their search to private collections and smaller-scale galleries in their locations. There is surely much more to be found.