Ángel Arcabucero

In eighteenth century Peru, extraordinary depictions of ángeles arcabuceros or angels bearing muskets or “arquebuses" flourished, most notably in the artistic centers of Cuzco and the Altiplano regon of Calamarca. Numerous accounts tell of workshops in the region that employed foreign and local artisans, apprentices and others that were dedicated to the creation of religious paintings, sculptures and decorations for churches, convents and monastaries. Evangelization fueled this manufacture and consumption of sacred images and objects.
The subect of ángeles arcabuseros, was a novel subject in the 18th century, and a distinctly new world phenomenon. These armed angels, clothed in sumptuous garments that mimicked the aristocratic fashion of the time, proved potent didactic images that resonated with the evangelical mission in the Americas. The harquebus was a firearm at the vanguard of weaponry technology and had been used in European wars since the early seventeenth century, inspiring awe and commanding power. The native population which included the Inca royalty could also identify with these exalted creatures who, like them, were warriors. Their abundant plumage-adorned hats and their exquisite feathered wings conveyed a supernatural manifestation which encouraged pious veneration. This dazzling portrayal of a fearless angelic soldier continued to be used as a powerful symbol of the Church Militant during the Counter Reformation in the Americas. The stunning winged creatures were God’s army and defenders of the faith and all Christians against heresy that included Protestant ideology and the pantheon of Inca gods.