12 Peruvian Artworks That Define My Nation [View all]

[Judi Lynn]

12 Peruvian Artworks That Define My Nation



Published by Pedro Moreno Vasquez March 1, 2016 1:22 pm

Step into any Peruvian restaurant in the United States, and you may glimpse some artistic motifs hanging on the walls. Such artworks are supposed to capture the Peruvian spirit. The purpose behind it is to admire them while you munch your delicious Peruvian dish. Admire, reflect and reminisce about Peru.

These artworks are very old, remounting to ages before the Inca civilization. Some of them can be found in embassies, exhibitions, Peruvian parades and artisan markets.

The US has the eagle, the Statue of Liberty and “the flag raising as Iwo Jima” as symbolic icons. But Peru, with the glorious heritage of the Incas, has a lot more. Here are some of them:

1. The Cuzqueño Paintings



When the Incas were conquered by the Spaniards, there was a big problem. The natives worshipped the Sun and refused to convert to Catholicism. Due to language barriers, visual propaganda became an option. The Spanish Crown sent a team of artists to Cuzco. These Spanish painters recruited indigenous people and taught them drawing and oil painting. This is how the Escuela Cuzqueña (Cuzco School) originated, around the year 1535.

Indigenous artists were instructed to only portray Spanish lords, kings and European themes. The paintings served as tools of indoctrination: figures of saints, Holy Mary, Jesus Christ and warrior angels were made in a massive scale. But this technique of acculturation did not quite work. Eventually, indigenous artists abandoned the Cuzco School and began portraying Inca princes and other Peruvian deities.

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