Viceroy Morcillo’s entry into Potosí

Melchor de Holguin produced this composition showing the entry of Viceroy Morcillo into the Villa Imperial de Potos on 25 April 1716. The members of this motley and colourful society appear in it as participants or spectators. The canvas shows three different temporary spaces: the lower half is occupied by a large retinue, while the upper half is divided horizontally by two mock canvases showing the events that commemorated the historic event. The festival, which lasted into the night and the following day, included bullfights and masquerades in which the representations of the Sibyls and the Incas were mixed together. At the same time, the city was decorated with triumphal arches, tapestries and allegorical mythological canvases.

Collection: Images

Project: 5. Power and powers in the history of Europe: oligarchies, political participation and democracy., 9. Travels and travelers: economic, social and cultural connections.

Chronology: XVIII

Scope: Secondary Education, Baccalaureate, University

Link: http://www.culturaydeporte.gob.es/museodeamerica/coleccion/seleccion-de-piezas2/colonial/potos-.html

Resource type: Image

Format: Oil on canvas (240 x 570 cm)

Source: Museo de América (Madrid, España)

Language: Spanish

Date: 1716

Owner: Álvaro Romero González (Modernalia)