Basilio Santa Cruz Pumacallao
Encyclopedia
Basilio Pacheco de Santa Cruz Pumacallao (1635–1710) was a Quechua painter from Cusco, Peru. He was part of the Cuzco School
, a colonial movement of indigenous painters educated in the Baroque
religious painting tradition of Spain.
, is regarded as one of the most famous painters in the Cuzco School
tradition. He lived during the colonial era of the 17th century in the Viceroyalty of Peru
. His primary patron was Bishop Manuel de Mollinedo. His work combined the parallel influences of Peru and Spain and is characterized by its dynamic composition, lavish decoration, and large scale.
Initially art historians believed Basilio Santa Cruz to be a Spanish friar, but historian Jorge Cornejo Bouroncle discovered contracts commissioning paintings from the artist, revealed that he was Basilio de Santa Cruz Pumacallao, with a distinctly Quechua surname, confirming his identity as an Indian.
. His studio created an extensive series of paintings depicted the life of St. Francis
.
are two enormous paintings by him, featuring Saint Christopher
's Apotheosis and Saint Isidore, respectively. Past the transept
hang two more of Santa Cruz's large canvases, the "Chasuble Imposition to Saint Ildephonsus" and "The Ecstasy of Saint Philip Neri." A final piece of his work hangs in the Chapel of Saint Joseph
. It is entitled, "Royal Saint Mary of Almudena
", portraying a Virgin widely revered in Spain. The cathedral also owns his monumental oil paintings, Charles II and the Queen of Spain Adoring the Virgin of Alumdena and Virgin of Bethlehem with Bishop Mollinedo.
His work also still stands in Convento de San Francisco del Cusco (Church and Convent of San Francisco, Cuzco) and includes "Series of the life of Saint Francis
", in which only the last picture is signed by the artist. It is dated 1667. The Iglesia de la Merced has Santa Cruz's "Martyrdom of Saint Laurence", a painting with angels in the style of Spanish painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
. Basilio Santa Cruz de Pumacallao created iconographies of arcabucero
s, that is, angels with muzzle-loaded firearms, so characteristic of the Cuzco School
and so different from the angels imagined in Europe at the same time.
Corpus Christi Procession in Cuzco, a late 17th century oil on canvas painting in the collection of the Museo Arzobispol del Arte Religioso, has been attributed to him.
Cuzco School
The Cuzco School was a Roman Catholic artistic tradition based in Cusco, Peru during the Colonial period, in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries...
, a colonial movement of indigenous painters educated in the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
religious painting tradition of Spain.
Background
Basilio Santa Cruz is also known by his Quechua name, Pumaqallo or Pumacallao, and with Diego Quispe TitoDiego Quispe Tito
Diego Quispe Tito was a Peruvian painter. He is considered the leader of the Cuzco School of painting.The son of a noble Inca family, Quispe Tito was born in Cuzco, and worked throughout his life in the district of San Sebastián; his house is still extant, and shows his coat of arms on its door...
, is regarded as one of the most famous painters in the Cuzco School
Cuzco School
The Cuzco School was a Roman Catholic artistic tradition based in Cusco, Peru during the Colonial period, in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries...
tradition. He lived during the colonial era of the 17th century in the Viceroyalty of Peru
Viceroyalty of Peru
Created in 1542, the Viceroyalty of Peru was a Spanish colonial administrative district that originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America, governed from the capital of Lima...
. His primary patron was Bishop Manuel de Mollinedo. His work combined the parallel influences of Peru and Spain and is characterized by its dynamic composition, lavish decoration, and large scale.
Initially art historians believed Basilio Santa Cruz to be a Spanish friar, but historian Jorge Cornejo Bouroncle discovered contracts commissioning paintings from the artist, revealed that he was Basilio de Santa Cruz Pumacallao, with a distinctly Quechua surname, confirming his identity as an Indian.
Style
His style is highly distinct from that of contemporary artist Diego Quispe Tito, because it is not based specifically on engravings imported from Europe but also paintings by Spanish artists. This influence can be attributed to the artworks that the Bishop Mollinedo brought back from MadridMadrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
. His studio created an extensive series of paintings depicted the life of St. Francis
St. Francis
St. Francis may refer to a number of Roman Catholic saints:*St Francis of Assisi , Italian founder of the Order of Friars Minor *St Francis of Paola , Italian founder of the Order of the Minims...
.
Collections
Santa Cruz's artwork can be seen at the Cathedral of Cusco. In its basilicaBasilica
The Latin word basilica , was originally used to describe a Roman public building, usually located in the forum of a Roman town. Public basilicas began to appear in Hellenistic cities in the 2nd century BC.The term was also applied to buildings used for religious purposes...
are two enormous paintings by him, featuring Saint Christopher
Saint Christopher
.Saint Christopher is a saint venerated by Roman Catholics and Orthodox Christians, listed as a martyr killed in the reign of the 3rd century Roman Emperor Decius or alternatively under the Roman Emperor Maximinus II Dacian...
's Apotheosis and Saint Isidore, respectively. Past the transept
Transept
For the periodical go to The Transept.A transept is a transverse section, of any building, which lies across the main body of the building. In Christian churches, a transept is an area set crosswise to the nave in a cruciform building in Romanesque and Gothic Christian church architecture...
hang two more of Santa Cruz's large canvases, the "Chasuble Imposition to Saint Ildephonsus" and "The Ecstasy of Saint Philip Neri." A final piece of his work hangs in the Chapel of Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
. It is entitled, "Royal Saint Mary of Almudena
Virgin of Almudena
The Virgin of Almudena is a medieval icon of the Virgin Mary, mother of Jesus Christ. The image is the advocation of the Virgin that serves as a patroness of Madrid, Spain....
", portraying a Virgin widely revered in Spain. The cathedral also owns his monumental oil paintings, Charles II and the Queen of Spain Adoring the Virgin of Alumdena and Virgin of Bethlehem with Bishop Mollinedo.
His work also still stands in Convento de San Francisco del Cusco (Church and Convent of San Francisco, Cuzco) and includes "Series of the life of Saint Francis
Francis of Assisi
Saint Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher. He founded the men's Franciscan Order, the women’s Order of St. Clare, and the lay Third Order of Saint Francis. St...
", in which only the last picture is signed by the artist. It is dated 1667. The Iglesia de la Merced has Santa Cruz's "Martyrdom of Saint Laurence", a painting with angels in the style of Spanish painter Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
Bartolomé Estéban Murillo
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo was a Spanish Baroque painter. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children...
. Basilio Santa Cruz de Pumacallao created iconographies of arcabucero
Ángel arcabucero
An ángel arcabucero is an angel depicted with an arquebus instead of the traditional sword, dressed in clothing inspired by that of Spanish aristocrats...
s, that is, angels with muzzle-loaded firearms, so characteristic of the Cuzco School
Cuzco School
The Cuzco School was a Roman Catholic artistic tradition based in Cusco, Peru during the Colonial period, in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries...
and so different from the angels imagined in Europe at the same time.
Corpus Christi Procession in Cuzco, a late 17th century oil on canvas painting in the collection of the Museo Arzobispol del Arte Religioso, has been attributed to him.