Inventing Indigenism: Francisco Laso's Image of Modern Peru

280 Pages·2021·22.164 MB·English

by  Natalia Majluf

I N V E N T I N G
I N D I G E N I S M
Francisco Laso’s Image of Modern Peru
N A TA L I A M A J L U F
INVENTING INDIGENISM

I N V E N T I NG
I N DIG E N I S M
FR A NCISCO L ASO’S
IMAGE OF MODERN PERU
Natalia Majluf
University of Texas Press
Austin
Copyright © 2021 by the University of Texas Press
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Printed in the United States of America
First edition, 2021
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA
Names: Majluf, Natalia, author. | Laso, Francisco, 1823–1869. Works. Selections.
Title: Inventing indigenism : Francisco Laso’s image of modern Peru / Natalia Majluf.
Description: First edition. | Austin : University of Texas Press, 2021. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifi ers: LCCN 2020057445 (print) | LCCN 2020057446 (ebook)
ISBN 978-1-4773-2408-0 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4773-2409-7 (library ebook)
ISBN 978-1-4773-2410-3 (non-library ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Laso, Francisco, 1823–1869. | Painting, Peruvian—19th century. |
Indigenous peoples—Peru—Portraits—History—19th century. | National
characteristics, Peruvian. | Quechua Indians—Peru—Portraits—History—19th
century. | Aymara Indians—Peru—Portraits—History—19th century. | Indigenous
peoples—Portraits—History—20th century.
Classifi cation: LCC ND419.L37 M35 2021 (print) | LCC ND419.L37 (ebook) |
DDC 759.985/09034—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020057445
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020057446
doi:10.7560/324080
For Miguel and Susy, and for
Martín, Verónica, Juan Pablo, and
José Antonio

The new Peruvianness is something to be created. Its historical
cement must be indigenous. Its axis will perhaps rest better on
Andean stone than on coastal clay.
La nueva peruanidad es una cosa por crear. Su cimiento
histórico tiene que ser indígena. Su eje descansará quizá en la
piedra andina, mejor que en la arcilla costeña.
José Carlos Mariátegui, Siete ensayos de
interpretación de la realidad peruana, 1928
Light became shadow La luz se hizo sombra
and the Indian was born, y nació el indio,
the high mountain became man La puna se hizo hombre
and the Indian was born, y nació el indio,
Prisoner in your soil Prisionero en tu suelo
captive Indian, indio cautivo,
with no light in your gaze sin luz en la mirada
somber Indian, indio sombrío,
Yesterday mountain Ayer montaña
today only debris, hoy solo escombro,
my entrails rage hierve mi entraña
when I name him, cuando lo nombro,
You will be mountain again Serás otra vez montaña
and there will be light in your eyes, y habrá fulgor en tus ojos,
I will hear you laugh, Tu risa oiré,
and happy will you be y feliz serás
and happy will I be. y feliz seré.
Alicia Maguiña, lyrics to Indio, 1963
C O N T E N T S
A Note on the Text xi
Preface xiii
INTRODUCTION 1
Francisco Laso: A Republican Biography 6
Indigenism’s National Imaginaries 10
From Society, into Painting, and Back 17
PRECEDENTS: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE INDIAN—
CONCEPT AND IMAGE 20
CHAPTER 1. THE INDIAN: IMAGE OF THE NATION 31
A Local Antiquity 35
Idealization 44
Painting’s Critical Function 48
Gonzalo Pizarro: The Scene of Conquest and the Spanish Legacy 53
The Indian as Cultural Concept 62
Creole Failures 68
The Indian as Allegory and Symbol 78
CHAPTER 2. THE SCENE OF APPROXIMATION 82
The Country of Melancholy: The Creole Invention of the Andean World 82
Melancholy’s Modern Transformations 88