To Amancaes

Jorge Vinatea Reinoso was without a doubt one of the most original figures of the Peruvian pictorial nationalism of the 1920s. After graduating from Lima’s School of Fine Arts, he maintained his independence from the predominant style of José Sabogal. Although he is best known for his depictions of the southern Andes, Vinatea also stands out as one of the first artists to tackle themes associated with the Creole culture of the coast. In this regard, one of his most distinctive works is To Amancaes, the execution of which reflects a high point in his pictorial maturity. The title refers to a traditional Lima celebration which, on June 21st each year, takes place on the Amancaes plain; the canvas depicts a rider on horseback, while in the background, under the line of hills, the local chapel can be seen, together with the marquees of the celebrants and vendors gathered there. To recreate the sense of dynamism, Vinatea decides to draw clearly the figures of the horse and rider, while transferring all the vitality to the background; like the weave of a great decorative tapestry, several brushstrokes dragged across the thick canvas suggest movement and create the sensation of a vast and simultaneously flat space. (NM)