The passage of the liberators (Apotheosis of Ayacucho)

This canvas was a preparatory study, through which the artist sought to identify the problems that the project might present, and arrive at possible solutions.
The large scale final work was destined for a specific architectural space, hence the two columns within the frame and the brown areas at both ends. The intended setting for the painting was the Ayacucho Hall, in the Government Palace.
The Peruvian state commissioned this work from Daniel Hernández as part of the celebrations to mark the centenary of Peru’s independence and the Battle of Ayacucho.
For Hernández, the challenge was to overcome the limitations imposed by the architectural setting, which made it very difficult to address an historical subject as a narrative sequence. In response, the artist opted for an allegorical representation.
In the central panel, we see the victorious troops of the liberating army descending from the Quinua plain, while in the foreground a crowd of people reflecting diverse ethnicities gathers to welcome them. This is a moment of jubilation, an allegorical depiction of the triumph of the patriotic forces, and the achieving of liberty.
Contrasting with this densely crowded central composition, the side panels are sparsely populated.