Shifting Panoramas: Contested Visions of Cuzco’s 1650 Earthquake

A large painted panorama of Cuzco, Peru, reveals that the city's 1650 earthquake is depicted not as a singular disaster but through contested religious narratives. The study finds that while the Spanish-influenced Virgin Mary is traditionally credited with miraculous intervention, the painting subtly elevates a lesser-known life-size crucifix as the true protector. This dual imagery challenges the dominant colonial narrative, offering Cuzqueños an alternative historical memory. The research analyzes the inscription and pictorial elements of the panorama to uncover this subversive framing, demonstrating how visual art can encode resistance against hegemonic stories.

Hajovsky, P. T. (2018). Shifting Panoramas: Contested Visions of Cuzco’s 1650 Earthquake. The Art Bulletin, 100(4), 34–61. https://doi.org/10.1080/00043079.2018.1464358