A man riding a mule, his whip raised, another mule loaded with grass alongside, from a group of drawings depicting Peruvian dress

From a group of 37 drawings (watercolours) that depict Peruvian costume and customs. The type (costumbrismo) was established by Francisco (Pancho) Fierro, an Peruvian artist of African descent who created over 1000 such works, the popularity of which spawned many imitators. The quality of the present group suggest that they might be autograph and not the work of a follower. Several are dated 1848 and Lima recorded as their location.

For Fierro see: Natalia Majluf (ed), 'Reproducing Nations: Types and Costumes in Asia and Latin America, ca. 1800–1860‘ (Americas Society, New York, 2006); 'Acuarelas de Pancho Fierro y seguidores. Colección Ricardo Palma’, (Lima 2007); Natalia Majluf and Marcus B. Burke, ‘Tipos del Peru: la Lima criolla de Pancho Fierro’, (Madrid 2008); Maribel Arrelucea Barrantes, ‘Raza, género y cultura en las acuarelas de Pancho Fierro’, in 'Arquelogía y Sociedad', no 23, 2011, pp.267-293;



Mark McDonald (February 2019)