Peruvian art has its origin in the

Andean civilizations The Andean civilizations were South American complex societies of many indigenous people. They stretched down the spine of the Andes for from southern Colombia, to Ecuador and Peru, including the deserts of coastal Peru, to north Chile and no ...

. These

civilizations A civilization (also spelled civilisation in British English) is any complex society characterized by the development of the state, social stratification, urbanization, and symbolic systems of communication beyond signed or spoken languag ...

rose in the territory of modern

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

before the arrival of the Spanish.

Pre-Columbian art

Peru's earliest artwork came from the

Cupisnique Stirrup-handled Cupinisque ceramic vase 1250 BC ( Larco Museum collection) The Cupisnique culture was a pre-Columbian indigenous culture that flourished from c. 1500 to 500 BC along what now is Peru's northern Pacific coast. The culture had a dist ...

culture, which was concentrated on the Pacific coast, and the Chavín culture, which was largely north of

Lima Lima ( ; ), founded in 1535 as the Ciudad de los Reyes (, Spanish for "City of Biblical Magi, Kings"), is the capital and largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rímac and Lurín Rive ...

between the Andean mountain ranges of the Cordillera Negra and the Cordillera Blanca. Decorative work from this era, approximately the 9th century BCE, was symbolic and religious in nature. The artists worked with gold, silver and

ceramics A ceramic is any of the various hard, brittle, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant materials made by shaping and then firing an inorganic, nonmetallic material, such as clay, at a high temperature. Common examples are earthenware, porce ...

to create a variety of sculpture and relief carvings. These civilizations were also known for their

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and construction, constructi ...

and wood sculpture. Between the 9th century BC and the 2nd century CE, the Paracas Cavernas and Paracas Necropolis cultures developed on the south coast of Peru. Paracas Cavernas produced complex polychrome and monochrome ceramics with religious representations. Burials from the Paracas Necropolis also yielde
complex textiles
many produced with sophisticated geometric patterns. The 3rd century BCE saw the flowering of the urban culture, Moche, in the Lambayeque region. The

Mochica culture The Moche civilization (; alternatively, the Moche culture or the Early, Pre- or Proto-Chimú) flourished in northern Peru with its capital near present-day Moche, Trujillo, Peru from about 100 to 800 AD during the Regional Development Epoch. ...

produced impressive architectural works, such as the Huacas del Sol y de la Luna and the Huaca Rajada of Sipan. They were expert at cultivation in terraces and

hydraulic engineering Hydraulic engineering as a sub-discipline of civil engineering is concerned with the flow and conveyance of fluids, principally water and sewage. One feature of these systems is the extensive use of gravity as the motive force to cause the move ...

and produced original ceramics, textiles, pictorial and sculptural works. Another urban culture, the Wari civilization, flourished between the 8th and 12th centuries in

Ayacucho Ayacucho (, , derived from the words ''aya'' ("death" or "soul") and ''k'uchu'' ("corner") in honour of the battle of Ayacucho), founded in 1540 as San Juan de la Frontera de Huamanga and known simply as Huamanga (Quechua: Wamanga) until 1825, i ...

. Their centralized town planning was extended to other areas, such as

Pachacamac Pachacámac () is an archaeological site southeast of Lima, Peru in the Valley of the Lurín River. The site was first settled around A.D. 200 and was named after the "Earth Maker" creator god Pacha Kamaq. The site flourished for about 1,300 ye ...

, Cajamarquilla and Wari Willka. Between the 9th and 13th centuries CE, the military urban

Tiwanaku Tiwanaku ( or ) is a Pre-Columbian archaeological site in western Bolivia, near Lake Titicaca, about 70 kilometers from La Paz, and it is one of the largest sites in South America. Surface remains currently cover around 4 square kilometers and in ...

empire rose by the borders of

Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca (; ; ) is a large freshwater lake in the Andes mountains on the border of Bolivia and Peru. It is often called the highest navigable lake in the world. Titicaca is the largest lake in South America, both in terms of the volume of ...

. Centered around a city of the same name in modern-day Bolivia, the Tiwanaku introduced stone architecture and sculpture of a monumental type. These works of

and art were made possible by the Tiwanaku's developing

bronze Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals (such as phosphorus) or metalloid ...

, which enabled them to make the necessary tools. Urban architecture reached a new height between the 14th and 15th centuries in the

Chimú Culture Chimor (also Kingdom of Chimor or Chimú Empire) was the political grouping of the Chimú culture (). The culture arose about 900 CE, succeeding the Moche culture, and was later conquered by the Inca emperor Topa Inca Yupanqui around 1470, f ...

. The Chimú built the city of

Chan Chan Chan Chan (), sometimes itself called Chimor, was the capital city of the Chimor kingdom. It was the largest city of the pre-Columbian era in South America. It is now an archeological site in the department of La Libertad west of Trujillo, P ...

in the valley of the Moche river, in La Libertad. The

Chimú Chimor (also Kingdom of Chimor or Chimú Empire) was the political grouping of the Chimú culture (). The culture arose about 900 CE, succeeding the Moche culture, and was later conquered by the Inca emperor Topa Inca Yupanqui around 1470, fi ...

were skilled

goldsmith A goldsmith is a Metalworking, metalworker who specializes in working with gold and other precious metals. Modern goldsmiths mainly specialize in jewelry-making but historically, they have also made cutlery, silverware, platter (dishware), plat ...

s and created remarkable works of

. The

Inca Civilization The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The Inca civilisation rose fro ...

, which united Peru under its hegemony in the centuries immediately preceding the Spanish conquest, incorporated into their own works a great part of the cultural legacy of the civilizations which preceded it. Important relics of their artwork and architecture can be seen in cities like

Cusco Cusco or Cuzco (; or , ) is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Sacred Valley of the Andes mountain range and the Huatanay river. It is the capital of the eponymous Cusco Province, province and Cusco Region, department. The city was the cap ...

, architectural remains like Sacsahuaman and

Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain ridge at . Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is the most familiar icon of the Inca Empire. It is located in the ...

and stone pavements that united

with the rest of the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

. File:Paracas mantle, BM.jpg, Nazca mantle from Paracas

Necropolis A necropolis (: necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'' (). The term usually implies a separate burial site at a distan ...

, 1-100 CE This is a "double fish" (probably sharks) design,

Brooklyn Museum The Brooklyn Museum is an art museum in the New York City borough (New York City), borough of Brooklyn. At , the museum is New York City's second largest and contains an art collection with around 500,000 objects. Located near the Prospect Heig ...

File:Nariguera Moche2.JPG, Moche ''Nariguera'' depicting the Decapitator (Ayapec, Ai Apaec), gold with turquoise and

chrysocolla Chrysocolla ( ) is a hydrous copper phyllosilicate mineral and mineraloid with the formula (''x'' < 1) or . The structure of the mineral has been questioned, as a 2006 spectrographic study suggest ma ...

inlays, c. 200–850 CE, Museo Oro del Peru, Lima File:Over Machu Picchu.jpg, A view of

, Incan architecture, c. 1450 CE File:Chancay - Textile Doll - Walters 83768.jpg, Textile doll (11th century),

Chancay culture The Chancay were a pre-Columbian, pre-Hispanic archaeological culture, archeological civilization that developed between the valleys of Fortaleza, Pativilca, Supe, Huaura, Chancay, Chillón River, Chillón, Rímac River, Rimac and Lurín River, Lu ...

, found near

Walters Art Museum The Walters Art Museum is a public art museum located in the Mount Vernon, Baltimore, Mount Vernon neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded and opened in 1934, it holds collections from the mid-19th century that were amassed substantially ...

. Of their small size, dolls are frequently found in ancient Peruvian tombs.

Colonial art

Peruvian

sculpture Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

and

painting Painting is a Visual arts, visual art, which is characterized by the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a solid surface (called "matrix" or "Support (art), support"). The medium is commonly applied to the base with ...

began to define themselves from the ateliers founded by

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

s, who were strongly influenced by the Sevillian Baroque School. In this context, the stalls of the

Cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

choir, the fountain of the Main Square of

both by Pedro de Noguera, and a great part of the colonial production were registered. The first center of art established by the Spanish was the Cuzco School that taught

Quechua Quechua may refer to: *Quechua people, several Indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru *Quechuan languages, an Indigenous South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language ...

artists European painting styles. Diego Quispe Tito (1611–1681) was one of the first members of the Cuzco school and Marcos Zapata (1710–1773) was one of the last. Painting of this time reflected a synthesis of European and indigenous influences, as is evident in the portrait of prisoner Atahualpa, by D. de Mora or in the canvases of the Italians Mateo Pérez de Alesio and Angelino Medoro, the Spaniards Francisco Bejarano and J. de Illescas and the Creole J. Rodriguez. During the 17th and 18th centuries, the

Baroque The Baroque ( , , ) is a Western Style (visual arts), style of Baroque architecture, architecture, Baroque music, music, Baroque dance, dance, Baroque painting, painting, Baroque sculpture, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished from ...

Style also dominated the field of

plastic arts Plastic arts are art forms which involve physical manipulation of a ''plastic medium'', such as clay, wax, paint or even plastic in the modern sense of the word (a ductile polymer) to create works of art. The term is used more generally to ...

. File:Brooklyn Museum - Virgin of Carmel Saving Souls in Purgatory - Circle of Diego Quispe Tito - overall.jpg, ''Virgin of Carmel Saving Souls in Purgatory,'' Circle of Diego Quispe Tito, 17th century, collection of the

Image:Matrimonio de Martín de Loyola con doña Beatriz Ñusta, y de Don Juan Borja con Lorenza Ñusta.jpg, ''The Marriage of Captain Martin de Loyola to Beatriz Ñusta'', c. 1675–1690, Church of la Compañía de Jesús, Cuzco Image:Cuzqueña2.jpg, ''Our Lady of Bethelem'', anonymous, 18th century Image:Warriorangel.jpg, ''Archangel Uriel'', anonymous, 18th century, featuring an

Ángel arcabucero An (arquebusier angel) is an angel depicted with an arquebus (an early muzzle-loaded firearm) instead of the sword traditional for martial angels, dressed in clothing inspired by that of the Criollo and Andean nobles and aristocrats.Walshamp. 27 ...

Fresque église huaro.JPG, Preserved colonial wall painting of 1802 depicting Hell, by Tadeo Escalante, inside the Church of San Juan Bautista in Huaro (

) Image:Sillería del coro, Catedral de Lima, Peru-02.jpg, Stalls of the

choir, Pedro de Noguera The image of Mary in Our Lady of Bethlehem hosts a lot of European styling and representations of the Western Mary. She is elevated from the ground, and is wearing a crown and has the faint image of a circular halo behind her head. She is being presented as cherubic figures pull back drapery, as if she is being "showcased." Surrounding her are small cherubic heads, often referred to as "puti's" in Southern American culture. They represent the innocence of children and act as a nod to her maternity and Jesus. She is dresses in obvious western, high-culture garments – highly adorned. Even the infant Christ is portrayed in western apparel.

19th century

In the 19th century, French neoclassic and romantic currents es in L. Montero,

Ignacio Merino Ignacio Merino Muñoz (30 January 1817–17 March 1876) was a Peruvian painter notable for historical and costumbrista works, and considered the founder of the Peruvian school of painting. Beginning at age 6, he spent much of his life in Paris. ...

, Daniel Hernández Morillo and Francisco Masias.

Modern and contemporary

Indigenous movement

The establishment of the Fine Arts School of Lima (1919) had a decisive influence on Peruvian sculpture and painting. In

, some of the most remarkable artists include Luis Agurto, L. Valdettaro, Joaquin Roca Rey, J. Piqueras, Alberto Guzmán, Victor Delfín and F. Sánchez. Among the painters, Daniel Hernández, R. Grau, Cesar Quispez Asin and Jose Sabogal are particularly notable. Sabogal headed the indigenous movement, which was one of the main influences on Peruvian contemporary painting. Among the most notable painters in the indigenous movement was Julia Codesido. Some of the most widely recognized painters are Fernando de Szyszlo, Alberto Davila, Armando Villegas, Sabino Springett, Bernardo Rivero, J. Alberto Tello Montalvo, Victor Humareda, M. A. Cuadros, Ángel Chávez, Milner Cajahuaringa, Arturo Kubotta, Venancio Shinki, Alberto Quintanilla (wiki Es), G. Chávez, Tilsa Tsuchiya, David Herskowitz, Óscar Allain, Carlos Revilla, Sérvulo Gutiérrez and Amilcar Salomon Zorrilla (Peru). In the field of photography, Martín Chambi made major contributions.

Pop art propaganda

During the 1960s and 1970s, Peruvian art underwent significant transformation, moving beyond traditional mediums like painting and sculpture to incorporate graphic design, poster art, and comic strip techniques. This period coincided with dramatic social and political changes, particularly the land reform initiated under General Juan Velasco Alvarado's military government. The 1969

Agrarian Reform Land reform (also known as agrarian reform) involves the changing of laws, regulations, or customs regarding land ownership, land use, and land transfers. The reforms may be initiated by governments, by interested groups, or by revolution. Lan ...

Law aimed to redistribute land from large estates to peasant communities, challenging the longstanding feudal agrarian system. This reform catalyzed a wave of politically charged art that engaged with the struggles of Indigenous and rural communities. Jesus_Ruiz_Durand

Artists like Jesús Ruiz Durand played a prominent role in this movement. Ruiz Durand’s posters, described as "rustic, high-circulation street posters" utilized bold graphic design and bright colors inspired by Pop Art to communicate messages of social justice, agrarian reform, and Indigenous empowerment. His art utilized images he had taken on the field and later transformed into a comic book strip style he thought anyone could understand. Reflecting on his approach, Ruiz Durand noted, ''“I had a very clear idea that these posters demanded an urgent, immediate, and enthusiastic message... I decided to use the comic strip technique because, who doesn’t know that language?”'' His works, such as the poster ''"Tierra o Muerte"'' ("Land or Death"), drew directly from Velasco's slogan "Land for Those Who Work It" and were widely distributed in public spaces, fostering political discourse at both grassroots and national levels. Agrarian refor
posters
often depicted rural workers reclaiming land, agricultural abundance, and the strength of Indigenous communities, reflecting a radical reimagining of Peruvian identity. For example, Ruiz Durand’s ''"El Pueblo Unido"'' ("The People United") integrates imagery of campesinos wielding tools as symbols of resistance and unity. Another notable piece, ''"Los Campesinos Tienen la Razón"'' ("The Peasants Are Right"), merges Indigenous visual motifs with political slogans, emphasizing the role of rural labor in national development. These artworks were not confined to galleries or museums; they were displayed on city walls, in town squares, and during public rallies, reaching audiences across class and geographical divides. By incorporating visual storytelling, these posters appealed to Peru's largely illiterate rural population, making them powerful tools for education and mobilization.

The Legacy of Revolutionary Peruvian Art

The art of this period left a lasting legacy on Peruvian visual culture. It bridged the gap between traditional Indigenous aesthetics and modern

graphic design Graphic design is a profession, academic discipline and applied art that involves creating visual communications intended to transmit specific messages to social groups, with specific objectives. Graphic design is an interdisciplinary branch of ...

, contributing to a broader redefinition of national identity. While some critique these works as state propaganda, others view them as authentic expressions of grassroots resistance and empowerment. Their influence persists in contemporary Peruvian art, where themes of land rights, Indigenous identity, and social justice continue to resonate. Even decades later, tensions surrounding development, land rights, and the representation of Indigenous communities continued. In the early 21st century, conflicts arose as the Peruvian government expanded oil and mining operations in the

Amazon region The Amazon basin is the part of South America drained by the Amazon River and its tributaries. The Amazon drainage basin covers an area of about , or about 35.5 percent of the South American continent. It is located in the countries of Bolivi ...

, prompting organized Indigenous resistance and, at times, violent confrontations. The state’s emphasis on modernity and development often overlooked Indigenous perspectives, contributing to ongoing debates over territorial integrity and environmental stewardship. Bingham1922 Mausoleo de Machu Picchu

Contemporary art

Teresa Burga was a multimedia artist that works with conceptual art since the 60s and 70s. She was a pioneer in media art, art and technology and installation art in Peru. She was one of the most important non-objectualist artists of those decades in Peru. In

Cristina Gálvez was one of the most influential artists and art educators. In the 1980s after the art festival Contacta 1979 the group Huayco was created by Charo Noriega, Mariella Zevallos, Maria Luy, Armando Williams, Herbert Rodriguez and Juan Javier Salazar. This group appropriated the means of production and iconography of popular aesthetics. Within the history of Contemporary Art in Peru the Third Biennial of Trujilo in 1990 played an important role. This biennial included local artists as well as artists from neighboring countries.

Jorge Eduardo Eielson Jorge Eduardo Eielson (April 13, 1924 – March 8, 2006) was a Peruvian artist and writer. As an artist, he is known for his quipus, a reinterpretation of an ancient Andean device, they are considered precursors of conceptual art. Life an ...

and Jorge Piqueras were among the exhibiting artists that returned to Peru from Europe to participate within this biennial. It was the last biennial in Trujillo. In 1992 the artist Jaime Higa presented an exhibition at The Museum of Italian Art in Lima curated by Gustavo Buntinx. The 80s were marked by the civil war and artists responded to the political situation. Among these artists are Eduardo Tokeshi, Ricardo Wiesse and Alfredo Marquez. Later on in 1997 the First Ibero American Biennial was produced in Lima directed by Luis Lama. This biennial allowed for the exchange of ideas and a wider exposure for Peruvian artists. A memorable moment within this biennial was the unexpected performance by Elena Tejada-Herrera, which became an milestone within the history of Peruvian performance art. In 1999 Tejada-Herrera was awarded the first prize in the contest Passport for and Artist with a performance for which she hired street sellers performing on the streets of Lima. Another milestone in the history of contemporary Peruvian art is the Travestite Museum created by the philosopher and drag queen Giussepe Campuzano in 2003.

Folk art

Chulucanas pottery originates in the

Piura Region Piura () is a coastal department and region in northwestern Peru. The region's capital is Piura and its largest port cities, Paita and Talara, are also among the most important in Peru. The area is known for its tropical and dry beaches. It i ...

. Inspired by pre-Incan ceramics, the bold, graphic pottery is now exported all over the world. Designs are varied, but are predominated by black and white. There are several bigger companies but a lot of small manufactures are in Chulucanas itself and in the nearby villages of Quatro Esquinas. The

Ayacucho Region Ayacucho (), known as Huamanga from its creation in 1822 until 1825, is a department and region of Peru, located in the south-central Andes of the country. Its capital is the city of Ayacucho. The region was one of the hardest hit in the 1980 ...

is known for its

retablo A retablo is a devotional painting, especially a small popular or folk art one using iconography derived from traditional Catholic church art. More generally ''retablo'' is also the Spanish term for a retable or reredos above an altar, whether ...

s, or devotional paintings. San Pedro de Cajas in Ayacucho produces collectible looms. Cusco artistans create

stuffed animal A stuffed toy is a toy with an outer fabric sewn from a textile and stuffed with flexible material. They are known by many names, such as plush toys, plushies, lovies and stuffies; in Britain and Australia, they may also be called soft toys ...

s and

doll A doll is a physical model, model typically of a human or humanoid character, often used as a toy for children. Dolls have also been used in traditional religious rituals throughout the world. Traditional dolls made of materials such as clay and ...

s. Cochas-Huancayo is known for its mate burilado

gourd art Gourd art involves creating works of art using ''Lagenaria spp.'' hard-shell gourds as an art medium. Gourd surfaces may be carved, painted, sanded, burned, dyed, and polished. Typically, a harvested gourd is left to dry over a period of months bef ...

, with Apolonia Dorregaray Veli considered a leading practioner of the art form. Folk art (specifically dance, music, and costume) is preserved at the Centro Qosqo de Arte Nativo in Cusco, which is recognized as the first folk institution of all of Peru.

References

External links

''Ancient Peruvian ceramics: the Nathan Cummings collection by Alan R. Sawyer''
an exhibition catalog from The Metropolitan Museum of Art (fully available online as PDF), which contains material on Peruvian art {{Authority control Art by country Culture of Peru