Entry of Viceroy Archbishop Morcillo into Potosi

The brief government of the Archbishop Don Diego Morcillo as Viceroy of Peru has been documented as few others have been, owing to the legacy of the painting by Holguín and the detailed chronicle created by Arzans Orsua. Through the canvas we attend the reception held for the Viceroy at the Imperial Villa on 25th April 1716. Attending the reception, as guests or as mere spectators, are all the members of this diverse and colourful society. Arzans himself is there; a direct witness as the painter who depicts himself in the lower part of the painting beside his signature. Three different time spaces coexist on the canvas. The lower half of the painting is filled with the large party which accompanies the prelate on his entrance to the city. The upper part is horizontally divided into two mock canvases with the depiction of the events which commemorated the historical day. The party went on through the night to the following day. It included bullfights and masques which blended portrayals of sibyls and Incas. At the same time, the city was adorned with arches of triumph, tapestries and canvases with allegorical mythological figures. They aimed to highlight the many virtues which graced the visitor and the city which received him. This was with the hope of obtaining favours from the highest authority, in particular for “him to send azogues and restore the indians from mita. This was something that the powerful miners did not hesitate to spend money on and which they soon repented when they discovered that Morcillo’s power was to be minimal given the brevity of his time in office. They mourned the 150,000 pesos “which would have been better spent elsewhere,” as the chronicler lamented.