True portrait of St. Rose of St. Mary (1818) by Marcelo Cabello y LlaveNational Library of Peru
The printing press was a fundamental element for the dissemination of ideas during the viceroyalty of Peru (1542-1821/4).
From 1584 until the end of Spanish rule, it fulfilled different functions, not only reproducing texts, but also images, many of which served to communicate information when literacy was not widespread.
Printed devotion
Within the confines of the Kingdom of Peru, the dissemination of religious images was very popular, either as prints or included as illustrations in books.
Within the confines of the Kingdom of Peru, the dissemination of religious images was very popular, either as prints or included as illustrations in books.
Inspiraciones del escultor español
For example, this image depicts a sculpted altar in veneration of the Lord of Help (or Lord of Succor, depending on the specific context of "Señor del Auxilio"). According to the researcher Ricardo Estabridis, it is based on the work of the Spanish sculptor Juan Martínez Montañés.
The altarpiece details
The engraving shows the details of the carving of the altarpiece with a Solomonic column, with Atalante angels at the base. At the base of the main niche, there are candle holders.
The monogram of Mary
On the sides of the crucified Christ are the Virgin Mary and the apostle Saint John. Below, a monogram displays Mary's monogram - AMR - and a portrait of her within a square frame.
The prints were disseminated at all levels of society throughout the colonial period, revealing the predominance of religious themes defined by the evangelizing spirit.
[Tomb of Pope Clement XIV] (1777) by José VázquezNational Library of Peru
The burial mounds
The capital of the Peruvian viceroyalty was the scene of ceremonies and festivals not only religious, but also political: births, proclamations of kings, arrival of viceroys and even funeral ceremonies.
The importance of the Cathedral
After the death of an important person, as in Spain, a ceremony was held in Lima in the Lima Cathedral. There the construction of an ephemeral stage or altar was carried out where artists, architects, poets, among others, participated.
[Tomb erected in the Cathedral of Lima in honor of King Carlos II] (1701) by Miguel Adame, engraverNational Library of Peru
This ceremony was documented in funeral books, publications that included prints that portrayed in detail the scenarios carried out and other details.
This print, for example, belongs to the funeral carried out in memory of the Catholic “King of the Spains and entrepreneur of the Indies”, Charles II.
The transcedental architecture
In the collections of the National Library of Peru, you can find other examples of these ephemeral architectures, with narrations of all the details surrounding their construction and celebrations.
The preparations for the ceremony, the protocol in the processions, the sermons and a description of the structure generally designed by a prestigious architect in Lima.
[Tomb of King Fernando VI] (1760) by CamachoNational Library of Peru
Sources
Mattos-Cárdenas, L. (2019). Two "inventions": Cristo del Auxilio by Martínez Montañés and Felipe IV on horseback. Origins and architectural echo of its diffusion in Lima. Devenir - Journal of Studies on Built Heritage, 6(12), 27–46. https://doi.org/10.21754/devenir.v6i12.742
Estabridis, Ricardo (2002). Engraving in viceregal Lima: historical and artistic document, 16th to 19th centuries. Editorial Fund Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima
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