El Señor de la Fortaleza

Born in Cajabamba, José Sabogal was a Peruvian painter, draftsman, and printmaker. In 1910, he traveled to Buenos Aires, where he received painting lessons and met Jorge Bermúdez, a regionalist painter who inspired him to study the popular arts. From this moment, Sabogal explored the characteristics of indigenist art, becoming the movement’s most important exponent and a key figure in its national development. In 1918, Sabogal returned to Perú and visited Cuzco, where he further developed his interest in representing the Andean landscape and indigenous populations. During this period, he published ethnographic research about indigenous cultural traditions, including a history of the "mate birulado", an ancient, handcrafted object made out of pumpkin or mate fruit. Sabogal played a key role in shaping the aesthetic of vanguard publications such as the cultural magazine "Amauta", which advocated for the rights of indigenous people and condemned social inequalities. "El Señor de la Fortaleza" portrays a scene during the procession of the “Christ of Miracles,” in which an image of Christ on the cross is carried through the streets of a village. The figures in the painting display the typical costumes and adornments worn during this popular celebration. The image of Christ is venerated in Perú as a symbol of a particular kind of Catholic religious practice that evolved from and reflects the hybrid nature of the country’s cultural identity. Sabogal’s use of subdued and earthly tones describe the atmosphere of the Andean landscape, celebrating the cultural legacy and natural resources of the region.

This text was created in collaboration with the University of Maryland Department of Art History & Archaeology and written by Patricia Ortega-Miranda.