Attributed to José Espinosa de los Monteros and workshop (active in Cuzco, Peru between 1682 and 1688) “Infant Jesus as Vanitas”. Oil on canvas. 61,5 x 83 cm.   José Espinosa de los Monteros is a significant figure in the history of Peruvian colonial art, he was the closest follower of his father's style, the Peruvian painter Juan Espinosa de los Monteros, “considered to be one of the initiators of the Cuzco school”. His work falls within the Andean baroque, a style characterized by decorative exuberance and a profound syncretism between European traditions and local sensibilities.  Although not as well known as other colonial painters such as Cristóbal de Villalpando or Diego Quispe Tito, Espinosa de los Monteros left a remarkable legacy through his work, especially in the portrayal of religious themes.  He has a remarkable ability to integrate decorative elements, such as garlands of flowers, and symbolic elements into his compositions, giving his paintings both aesthetic and theological meaning.   These characteristics are clearly manifested in the painting we have here of the Child Jesus as Vanitas, where the painter uses a frame of flowers to reinforce the message of the transience of earthly life and the inevitability of death. The work we present here, attributed to Espinosa de los Monteros and his workshop, is a good example of the use of Christian iconography to express complex ideas about life and death.  The Infant Jesus is depicted in a state of sleep, leaning on a skull, a memento mori symbol that invites reflection on mortality. However, the tranquility of the Child suggests a serene acceptance of the fate that awaits him, a duality that is common in Christian iconography, where life and death are inextricably linked. The floral frame is another key element of the composition. The flowers, arranged exuberantly around the Child, not only embellish the scene, but also reinforce the theme of vanitas. In the Baroque tradition, flowers often symbolize the transience of life and fleeting beauty, which contrasts with the eternity promised through redemption in Christ.  The Latin inscription at the bottom of the work, “EGO DORMIO ETCOR MEVM VIGILAT” (I sleep, but my heart watches), taken from the “Song of Songs” (5:2), underscores constant divine vigilance, even at rest. The works of José Espinosa de los Monteros are scattered over various collections, both in religious institutions and museums. Some of his most important paintings are located in the Cathedral of Lima, where several of his altarpieces and paintings dedicated to Marian devotion are kept. In addition, his work can be found in museums of viceregal art, such as the Museo Pedro de Osma in Lima, which houses a rich collection of Peruvian colonial art.  He is also the artist that created the hagiographic series on the life of Saint Teresa (1682), which is preserved in the Cuzco monastery of the same name, as well as the Saint Dominic de Guzmán, which can be found in the main cloister of the Dominican convent. Bibiographical References: - Mujica Pinilla, Ramón. Ángeles apócrifos en la América virreinal: imágenes de serafines y querubines en el arte colonial. Lima: Fondo Editorial del Congreso del Perú, 2008. - Gisbert, Teresa. Iconografía y mitos indígenas en el arte. La Paz: Gisbert y Cía., 1980. - Mesa, José de, y Gisbert, Teresa. Manierismo y barroco en el altiplano. La Paz: Embajada de España en Bolivia, 1983. - Stastny, Francisco. Pintura cuzqueña. Lima: Banco de Crédito del Perú, 1995. - Sánchez, Luis. La pintura en el Virreinato del Perú. Lima: Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, 1989.