The regulations of the Escuela de Bellas Artes of the Republic of Colombia, drafted in 1886 by the draftsman, painter, and journalist, Alberto Urdaneta (1845–87), marked the start of modern art instruction in the city of Bogotá. The new institution consolidated the relationship between art and politics, which maintained that close relationship in Colombia until the second half of the twentieth century.
The document is evidence of the dispute maintained between the Academia Nacional de Música, skillfully directed by the Englishman Jorge W. Price (1819–63), and the other academies brought together to form the Escuela Nacional de Bellas Artes. The other academies included: Alberto Urdaneta’s academy of drawing and wash drawing and Antonio Rodríguez’s academy of woodcarving. In addition, there were other subjects that originated in the European academies under the direction of the architect Mariano Santamaría (1887–1915), the Italian sculptor Cesare Sighinolfi (1833–1902), the Swiss decorator Luis Ramelli, and the Colombian painter Epifanio Garay (1849–1903). Since it was already a strong institution, the Academia Nacional de Música resisted being placed under the authority of Urdaneta, although it was required to join the Escuela Bellas Artes or lose the State’s financial support. This document also presents the system of penalties under which the moral and ethical conditions of the period were regulated. Lastly, it sets forth its intention to construct images of national history and strengthen the use of national symbols.