A man driving a cart pulled by mules
ca. 1848
Francisco 'Pancho' Fierro was the ultimate street photographer of 19th-century Lima, except he used watercolors instead of a camera. This lively sketch captures a humble mover or merchant navigating his two mules through the bustling streets around 1848. Look closely at the cart—it's piled high with a chaotic mix of household goods, from wooden chairs and sacks to a humble broom sticking out the back, suggesting a family on the move or a vendor making his rounds. Fierro's loose, energetic brushstrokes bring these everyday working-class figures to life, preserving a slice of Peruvian history known as costumbrismo that might otherwise have been forgotten.
- Technique
- Watercolor
- Material
- Paper