Cuzco School; XVIII century.

Cuzco School; XVIII century.
"Saint Augustine of Hippo".
Oil on canvas partially gilded. Relined.
Measurements: 23.5 x 17 cm; 31 x 28 cm (frame).
Arisen in the scope of the old Viceroyalty of Peru, the School Cuzqueña developed an own language from European models, mainly Flemish engravings and Spanish baroque compositions, reinterpreted with Andean sensibility, as much in the use of the color as in the conception of the space and the ornament.
In this painting, the saint appears in a central and hierarchical position, standing out on a landscape, where nature is schematic and decorative rather than plausible. Saint Augustine wears the episcopal attributes, mitre and crosier, which underline his condition of Doctor of the Church and bishop of Hippo. The frontality of the figure, the solemn rigidity of his posture and the clarity with which his insignia are exhibited respond to the didactic and devotional function of the image, destined to visually affirm the doctrinal authority of the saint.
The work reveals characteristic traits of the Cuzco School: intense chromaticism, predominance of drawing over scientific perspective and an ornamental treatment of details. The landscape, more symbolic than naturalistic, does not seek real depth but to frame the main figure in a friendly and recognizable environment. This combination of European inheritance and local contributions gave rise to a singular style that, in the 18th century, reached great diffusion in Andean churches and convents, consolidating itself as one of the most original expressions of American colonial art.