Why did Latin American artists begin to paint local landscapes and daily life before independence?

In the half-century leading up to independence, Latin American artists began depicting local landscapes and daily life as they increasingly sought to move beyond traditional, state-sponsored, or church-commissioned art. This shift was driven by a growing sense of a distinct Latin American identity as ties to Europe became less immediate.12

Several factors contributed to this development:

• Documentation and Exploration: The Spanish crown commissioned various expeditions to document the empire's flora, fauna, and geography, which encouraged a focus on the local environment.3
• Artistic Autonomy: Painters began incorporating actual regional landscapes into the backgrounds of their works rather than relying on idealized backdrops. Some artists even created pure landscape paintings that required no religious or political narrative for justification.1
• Social and Cultural Interest: Artists began to explore the diverse social strata of colonial society, such as through the genre of castas paintings, which depicted ethnic "types" and intermarriage. Others, like Vicente Albán, created portraits of local people in their typical costumes, further highlighting regional culture.1
• Everyday Life: Artists increasingly turned their attention to common subjects, such as bodegones (kitchen still lifes) featuring local earthenware and produce, reflecting a broader interest in the daily realities of their home countries.1

This emerging interest in capturing the unique character of the region laid the groundwork for the costumbristas who would continue to document local customs and landscapes in the post-independence period.14