The Armed Angel

The Ángel Arcabucero is a Peruvian iconography that rose to fruition in the 17th century. Depicting an angel carrying an arquebus, a long firearm, this piece combines traditional aristocratic portraiture with religious imagery. Colonized by Spain in the 16th century, Peru experienced an evangelization of the Catholic Church. Religious imagery became a prevalent theme throughout Peru from the 16th to 19th centuries, specifically in Cusco, a city in the Andean region. The armed angel paintings were created with the intent of adorning the walls and altars of Catholic Spanish churches in Peru. In this paper, I will argue that the Arcangel Arcabucero moves beyond a simple representation of a religious icon and is instead meant to embody aristocratic honor and military control, as it was depicted in Viceregal Cusco. Through examining the hybrid depiction of the Ángel Arcabucero, I will create a deeper understanding of the blending of aristocratic influences with religious imagery and the purpose they served in 17th-19th century Peru. I will also examine the materiality of the brocade garments worn by the angels, along with the shift from the iconography of angels as religious soldiers in a spiritual battle, carrying swords and feathers, to angels personified as militant figures, carrying muskets. I will do this by examining the El Arcángel Salamiel con Arcabuz painting of 19th-century Peru, comparing it to similar images of its time, and examining the influence of Spanish ruling in Peru.