Offerfeesten bij oorspronkelijke bewoners van Peru 1723

This engraving by Bernard Picart, made around the first decades of the 18th century, depicts sacrificial ceremonies by the original inhabitants of Peru. In the visual language of its time, the image constructs meaning by juxtaposing European architectural motifs with imagined scenes of Peruvian rituals. The composition, divided into two distinct registers, presents a narrative that blends ethnographic curiosity with colonial power dynamics. Commissioned during a period of intense European expansion, the artwork reflects the cultural biases inherent in representing non-Western societies. The institutional context of its creation, likely intended for a European audience, shaped its portrayal of Peruvian culture as exotic and subordinate. Further insights could be gained by exploring historical accounts of colonial encounters and the visual rhetoric employed to justify them. Through careful examination, we can better understand the power dynamics embedded in this image and its role in shaping perceptions of indigenous populations.