This small painting is the most famous depiction of the Lady of Pomata, a woman said to protect the town of Pomata, Peru. It was painted between 1700 and 1750 by an unknown local artist, though why the painting is famous dates before it's origin. Peru was ruled by the Inca until 1530 when Spanish conquistadors began their trek into South America. With them came a very firm faith in Catholicism that they instilled in the Incan population. For the two hundred years between this conquest and the painting Peru was a colony of Spain, which induced a fusion in European and Latin styles that resulted in more formally created artwork than what was typical of the native culture.
I found this painting to be interesting because of the format. Unlike many Incan works of art, this one has structured the subjects into a hierarchy of importance. I think this appears more European than is typical of a Latin painting. The romanticized flowers and the woman's dress seem extremely different from the utilitarian artwork the Incan created in a worship setting. For this reason, I found this painting to be almost like a European painting what he saw in his environment than a native Incan painting the Lady of the town for religious purposes.
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