Pedro de Osma Museum has relocated his entire collection of new script based museum recently developed by Dr. Jaime Mariazza and having taken over the museology Dr. Ricardo Estabridis. In this sense, offers the following themed rooms:

• MANNERISM HALL
• MARIAN TITLES HALL
• ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS HALL
• SCULPTURE HALL
• ALLEGORY HALL
• CUZCO XVII CENTURY HALL
• CUZCO XVIII CENTURY HALL
• POTRAIT HALL
• SILVER HALL

1. MANNERISM HALL

The Italian artistic style that developed between the years 1520 to 1600 is commonly denominated “Mannerist”. This is due to the particular way each artist had of expressing himself using models that represented an anticlassical reaction that questioned the validity of the High Renaissance idea of beauty. This movement caused the aesthetic patterns and the compositional rules to change.

The European art that arrived to America, whether it was imported or with the presence of Italian artists who came in 1575 either to contribute with the evangelization or for profit, had mannerist traits: the use of iridescent and watery colors or the shape of their figures. The first of these artists was Bernardo Bitti a Jesuit priest who painted temples for his order in Peru. In 1588, Mateo Perez de Alessio arrived in Lima and painted for high ended politicians and other important religious figures. In 1600 the arrival of Angelino Medoro is recorded, he left many works of art in Quito and various Columbian cities before working in Lima. He lived there until his return to Europe in 1622. Their disciples, Fray Pedro de Bedon, Luis de Riaño, Pedro Pablo Moron, and Francisco Bejarano helped spread the principles of the late mannerist movement in the Andean region. They also contributed with the creation of new devotional plastic models which were maintained throughout the vice regal period; the Virgin with her son, the Virgin of the milk and other diverse images of the Immaculate. These, in time, became representative icons of popular piety..

2. MARIAN TITLES HALL

The Italian artistic style that developed between the years 1520 to 1600 is commonly denominated “Mannerist”. This is due to the particular way each artist had of expressing himself using models that represented an anticlassical reaction that questioned the validity of the High Renaissance idea of beauty. This movement caused the aesthetic patterns and the compositional rules to change.

The European art that arrived to America, whether it was imported or with the presence of Italian artists who came in 1575 either to contribute with the evangelization or for profit, had mannerist traits: the use of iridescent and watery colors or the shape of their figures. The first of these artists was Bernardo Bitti a Jesuit priest who painted temples for his order in Peru. In 1588, Mateo Perez de Alessio arrived in Lima and painted for high ended politicians and other important religious figures. In 1600 the arrival of Angelino Medoro is recorded, he left many works of art in Quito and various Columbian cities before working in Lima. He lived there until his return to Europe in 1622. Their disciples, Fray Pedro de Bedon, Luis de Riaño, Pedro Pablo Moron, and Francisco Bejarano helped spread the principles of the late mannerist movement in the Andean region. They also contributed with the creation of new devotional plastic models which were maintained throughout the vice regal period; the Virgin with her son, the Virgin of the milk and other diverse images of the Immaculate. These, in time, became representative icons of popular piety.

3. ANGELS AND ARCHANGELS HALL

According to Christian mythology the angels and archangels are members of the celestial court; the first ones are responsible of men and the second ones serve as obedient messengers of God as well as warriors. The latter posses a polarized characteristic because of their good nature and the violent traits they sometimes need for their respective missions; for example, the expulsion of Adam and Eve from Paradise. During the Roman Council (in 745) and the Council of Aquisgran (in 788) Michael, Gabriel and Rafael were recognized as the only archangels of the Christian Creed. Thus, they were incorporated to the repertoire of holy images of the Church, individualized by their names, legends and iconographic symbols.

Their plastic representation was ruled by dispositions made in the Council of Trent, but in a curios contradiction of said dispositions, they were frequently painted next to other archangels such as Uriel, Zadkiel, Jehudiel, among others. Their formalization in the arts was achieved due to a settlement between the canonical precepts and the spurious legends that allowed the Church to expand its evangelical vocabulary. This can be observed in the series of archangels painted during the Peruvian viceroyalty period. Each sector of the population adopted these icons into their own religion; they saw in them the traditions of ancient winged images or the bird warriors of the pre-Hispanic times. It is from this syncretism that the archangel with the musketeer arose; they are considered a personal invention of the south Peruvian Andes; the people identified the sound of thunder –Ilappa– in the sound of the harquebus. Colonial painters imagined them eternally young, asexual, dressed in long tunics or, sometimes, in military uniform..

4. SCULPTURE HALL

The sculpture of the Peruvian viceregal area was highly influenced by the Sevillian baroque aesthetic; this style was known for its models of archetype faith and popular devotion and the American artists emulated and re-elaborated them. The most known sculptors of Hispanic art were Martinez Montañes, Gregorio Fernandez, Juan de Mesa and Pedro de Mena, some of them even created pieces that were exclusively for Lima meant for some of the wealthier monasteries. Thus, from the late XVI century, the Spanish influence was stronger and helped shape the new aesthetic taste of the major art workshops.

The technique of carving and gilt wood remained throughout the whole colonial period and it also included altars, pulpits, tabernacles, shrines and ceilings. The preferred material was wood, however in some Andean workshops the artists used a soft wood known as “maguey”. It was easier to work with and, with the right process, it could emulate the consistency and color of cedar, walnut or pine.

5. ALLEGORY HALL

Peruvian viceroyalty art received the European custom of communicating certain thoughts with signs and symbols whose meaning could be easily interpreted by the local population due to their knowledge of stories from the Bible and the concepts that were found in figurative language.

In this hall this can be seen in many paintings, for example, the Church is depicted as a ship whose mast is formed with the figure of Christ on the cross. This ship is attacked by the infidels and defended by saints and pious men. Similarly, the Eucharistic allusions are represented by the figure of the Custody, destined to show the body of Christ represented by the host which is stored inside the sun or on top of it which is formed by rays that symbolize the Holy Father and his light shining on the universe. Another Eucharistic theme is known as the Divine Winery where Christ appears processing grapes so that they can become wine. This is a metaphor of his own blood spilt during the Passion and his death. This can be seen in a carving in Huamanga stone next to the Virgin Immaculate who is surrounded by the symbols of her litanies that invoke Mary and the songs to her virtues.

The symbol of the cross has been relevant ever since the birth of Christianity and it is usually shown as being very superior to dignitaries, ranks and other human spoils. These are usually laid at its feet to prove their inferiority. Frequently, the cross is accompanied by a pelican that hurts itself in the chest to feed its young with its own blood; a metaphor representing Christ and his sacrifice to mankind..

6. CUZCO XVII CENTURY HALL

The art f Cuzco received its foundations from the Italian painters that arrived in the late XVI century. However, it was also heavily influenced by Flemish and Spanish art. These would concretize its development and strengthen its formal maturity, ornamentally and expressively. The art of the XVII century in Cuzco had two predominant figures: Diego Quispe Tito and Basilio de Santa Cruz Pumacallao. Quispe was known for his Flemish influence and Santa Cruz for his taste for Spanish art. Other painters followed these movements until, at almost the end of the century, each found their own style.

In the work of these painters we find the elements that define the Cuzco style through the use of the European engraved plates. Mannerism was replaced by the Baroque movement which brought big compositions full of movement, color and contrasting chiaroscuro.

The techniques for making paint changed as well, Mixed Technique was created because it was easier to use on canvas, cotton, linen or jute.

7. CUZCO XVIII CENTURY HALL

During the XVIII century, Cuzco was known for its active workshops and their religious works of art that had very high levels of quality; the most known masters were Marcos Zapata, Basilio Pacheco and Mauricio Garcia. The presence of gold on the religious canvas symbolizes the importance of this metal in the Andean region since prehispanic times.

The development of these religious paintings had its influence in the signs and geometrical shapes that came from the ancient Incan empire. This new aesthetic was generalized towards 1750 in paintings, textiles, craftsmanship, etc. For the Indians to see the symbols of their religious past caused many rebellions, including one of the most important ones which happened in 1780 by Jose Gabriel Condorcanqui. Due to this climate of political unrest the viceregal institutions elaborated conciliatory messages which determined the apparition of a new iconography. Such is the case of the painting Union of the Imperial Inca Descendants with the House of Loyola y Borja which was created by the Jesuit order.

Another important theme from this time is a set of half portraits that show the Incas and the Spanish kings in chronological succession. This was influenced by an engraving made by the priest Alonso de la Cueva in 1725. From this engraving comes a paint that shows only the portraits of the Incas which proves a break from the Spanish power.

8. POTRAIT HALL

Although the majority of paintings in the vice regal period had a religious motif, some artists painted profane themes. These were very popular in the cities, especially Cuzco and Lima. The most fashionable theme was the portrait.

This is due to the fact that, instead of being an aesthetic exercise, it had the purpose of being a reminder, in a private level as well as an institutional level. It did not pretend to be a faithful reproduction of reality instead it focused on the look and the rictus of the mouth to emphasize the expressive speech and psychological rapport. In many cases, it was accompanied by a banner that had the name and some biographical information of the person being portrayed.

The Museum Pedro de Osma has gathered in this hall many portraits belonging to the XVII and XVII century, forming the largest collection of Spanish kings painted by local artists. In some cases, as is the painting of Charles the III, the composition is inspired in an engraving that circulated throughout Spain and America.