A man viewed from behind beating a dog with a stick, from a group of drawings depicting Peruvian dress 1843 - 1853

Francisco Fierro created this watercolor and graphite drawing depicting violence in Peru, part of a series on Peruvian dress. The composition is stark, dominated by the diagonal line of the stick held aloft, poised to strike. The man’s body, rendered with simple shapes and muted tones, forms a triangle of tension above the crumpled form of the dog. The dog appears small and vulnerable, its exposed belly further emphasizing a power imbalance. Dots of red disrupt the otherwise subdued palette, highlighting the violence of the scene. Fierro uses minimal detail, yet the image conveys a palpable sense of brutality. This work challenges conventional notions of representation, presenting a raw, unsettling view of social dynamics. The drawing functions as a semiotic system, where each element—the stick, the man, the dog—carries cultural and social weight. It invites us to question the narratives embedded in images of everyday life.