Chilean art dates back as far as the Incas and their utilitarian works of ceramics, textiles and pottery. Their talent for metal work played into religious uses as well. The Mapuche Indians of south-central Chile were also known for their elaborate and complicated fabrics.
After Spain overthrew the Incan empire in the 16th century, Chilean art began to have a strong European influence. Landscape paintings and woodcarvings after the Spanish tradition were adopted and continue to this day.
Another dimension of traditional art is folk art to which Chile has a great past, especially in music. Song became the best of Chile’s performance arts, according to Countries and their Cultures. During the 1950s and 1960s, a resurgence of traditional Chilean music was popularized creating the movement Nueva Canción Chilena ("Chilean New Song").