Man on Mule with Loaded Saddlebacks
ca. 1850
Francisco 'Pancho' Fierro was the ultimate people-watcher of 19th-century Lima, Peru, and this sketch is a perfect example of his *costumbrismo* style. Here, a traveler sits stoically on a grey mule, wrapped in a bright blue poncho and sporting a straw hat so wide it looks like a personal awning. The large woven baskets strapped to the animal's back hint at a life of trade or transport, capturing a slice of daily routine from around 1850. These illustrations served as a visual diary of Peruvian society, documenting the fashion and jobs of ordinary people long before cameras were common.
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