Vida de los Ladrones · Centre for Early Modern Visual Culture · Center for Early Modern Visual Culture

Title: Vida de los Ladrones
Period: 1600-1650;
Geographic: Peru; Cusco; Cuzco; Lima; West Indies; South America
Description: This image depicts an indigenous thief dressed up as a nobleman. The author criticizes indigenous peoples who would steal, lie, and gamble, and believed them to be worse than Spaniards and black people. The indigenous man is depicted holding a bag of money in his left hand and the reigns to the horse and llama in his right hand. There is a devil depicted standing behind the horse speaking with the indigenous man. The devil is illustrated with horns, long ears, and talons for feet. The devil has dialogue written by his head which reads, Alli suuaconqui. Noca yanapascayqui [You’ll be a good thief. I’ll help you]. The indigenous man replies, Pachac Cullqui [Here’s a hundred pesos]. The caption at the bottom of the image reads. ladrón, suwa [thief].
Image Creator: Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala (Illustrator)
Type: Text; Illustration [Manuscript]
Identifier: mta:23803
Language: spa
Source Name: El primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno [The First New Chronicle and Good Government]
Parent Collection: Latin American Chronicles; Latin American Chronicles
Image: mta_23803_OBJ.jpg
Collection: Latin American Chronicles
Subject: Thieves; Indigenous Peoples; Andean Natives; Devil; Colonialism; Colonization