Colonial School. Probably from the Viceroyalty of Peru. Last quarter of the 18th century. Folding screen. Oil on canvas. Open measurements: 260 x 570 cm. Measurements of each section: 260 x 57 cm. The screen is composed of ten sections, decorated on both sides with descriptive scenes which draw on different influences. On one of the two faces, an urban scene is depicted in which, in the centre of the composition, there is a large and monumental fountain placed in a wide street with gardens in which people dressed in clothes of a Spanish taste are walking. For example, one of the ladies in the scene wears a hairnet whilst one of the masculine figures is almost entirely covered by a Spanish cape. Both sides of the street have architecture of varying types, some of which shows the defining characteristics of Hispanic constructions. The building that appears at the left of the composition is rather significant. It has the design of a convent, with a wide, masonry facade with a window protected with bars in a totally Spanish taste. The entire scene is framed by a wide border made of scrolls and vegetation motifs which is very similar to the decoration found in pictorial work with a Hispanic origin from Latin America in colonial times. The folding screen was originally an entirely oriental piece of furniture which arrived in Europe via Latin America, where it was adopted, resulting in the creation of workshops that produced them especially in New Spain, where they became essential decorative pieces in the large New Hispanic houses. They are largely characterised by their great size and their painted decoration which covers historical, topographical and costumbrist themes. These characteristics are clearly appreciable on this screen, thus making it much closer to the screens of Hispanic origin than those produced in Europe at that time. The other side is decorated with a large open landscape with architectural elements in which different scenes take place. The many characters which appear in the scenes, some dressed in courtly wear and others as artisans, undertake different activities. Some hunt while others go for a walk; some are resting and others are fishing. There are washerwomen and bathers in a river which closes the composition at the left, etc. All these scenes are imbued with a clear French influence, undoubtedly coming from the engravings which came from Europe, in this case by artists such as Vernet, La Croix de Marseille and Pillement. The motley scenes have been executed with certain ingenuousness and elements exist both in the architecture and the characters’ dress which are clearly identifiable as Spanish. The perimeter of the scene is edged with a moulded border painted in imitation of marble, making a frame. Within the mixed crowd that decorates the scene are two highly interesting characters. On one side there is a Chinese high official who rides on the back of a horse with a singular cap and braid from the area and slanting eyes, which could be a hint as to the origin of our anonymous artist. On the other side, a feminine figure dressed typically in a Peruvian cap and cloak, while playing the flute. This can maybe give us another clue about our artist, and help us to work out the origin of this screen. Historians have often highlighted the importance that the Manila galleon had on New Spanish art and culture. It is well-known that Japanese and Chinese artisans arrived in the Viceroyalties and produced and transmitted oriental forms and techniques. Teresa Castelló was certain that among the Japanese and Chinese people that settled in Latin America after those embassies had been installed, there would have been artisans who began to make folding screens, firstly on wood and then on canvas. Beatriz Sánchez Navarro, moreover, reminds us that Agustín de Vetancourt gives an account in chapter one of his “Teatro Mexicano” of the existence of a guild of Chinese artisans born in Manila that taught the native population their skills, such as ivory carving. It is possible that the screen was created by a Chinese artist who had been Christianised or Hispanicised in the Viceroyalty, or a New Spanish artist of a culturally mixed background. Traditionally, the folding screens produced in the Viceroyalty of New Spain have been studied and documented. With regard to the other great Latin American Viceroyalty, it is relevant to point out that there are few studies of the furniture of Peru during this period, and in those that do exist there is hardly any mention of the existence of folding screens in the principal houses. However, based on the abundance of these types of screens detected in the studies about the notarial inventories of the city of Lima during the 18th century, we consider it of the greatest importance to recover their presence among domestic furnishings, as this considerably widens the geographical area that has been studied until now. In the case of Peru, due to the exclusivity that Acapulco had in its treaty with the Philippines, the majority of Asian goods that arrived in Callao did so through trade with New Spain, and not directly from the Philipines. It is not until the 18th century that we once again find shipments arriving directly from Asia. In the first two decades of the century, the disruption caused by the Spanish War of Succession resulted in the fleets of galleons being substituted by French ships, which took advantage of the circumstances to head towards Canton and inundate Callao with Chinese goods. Moreover, the Royal Company of the Philippines had permanent offices in Lima and various of their ships arrived to South American shores loaded with Asian products. It is likely that, as with the Spanish and Portuguese ships that sailed the Pacific, they would have taken some luxury furniture in their holds. For this reason, some of the Chinese screens documented in Lima in the 18th century could also have used this way in. During that century, as well as establishing the production of folding screens in New Spain and exporting them to the rest of the Americas and Europe, local manufacturers must have appeared in other parts of Latin America, such as Peru, Guatemala and Colombia, which adapted themselves perfectly to local tastes and the materials commonly used in furniture-making in the area. The assimilation and reinterpretation of screens within Latin American material culture resulted in some original artistic dynamics which can be associated with creole taste and identity. Whatever the origin of this screen, the result is spectacular and full of special charm, qualities which give it tremendous decorative strength. With regard to the use of certain pigments that illuminate the piece, the Viceroyalty option once again takes first place. It is the case that a similar red colour to that normally used in the Viceroyalty School of painting is used on the screen and can be used to help identify it. This type of screen with descriptive scenes depicting everyday life was produced assiduously in Latin America. Another of the characteristics that makes them recognisable can often be their large size, which is ideal for their use in the palaces of New Spain and Peru, in contrast with those made in Europe which have smaller dimensions. It currently forms part of a collection in Madrid. Its original state has been preserved as it has never been restored, although there is some slight damage which does not in any way alter the distinction of the piece. Bibliographic references: 1. Castelló Yturbide, Teresa and Martínez, María Josefa (1970): Biombos mexicanos, México: Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia. 2. Sánchez Navarro, Beatriz (1985). Marfiles cristianos del Oriente en México, México, Fomento Cultural Banamex, A.C.: 120. 3. Crespo, María Dolores: Arquitectura domestica de la Ciudad de los Reyes (1535- 1750), Sevilla, Universidad de Sevilla, 2006. 4. Germaná, Gabriela. «El mueble en el Perú́ en el siglo XVIII: estilos, gustos y costumbres de la elite colonial», Anales del Museo de América, 16, Madrid, 2008, 189-206. 5. Baena Zapatero, Alberto. Un ejemplo de mundialización: El movimiento de biombos desde el Pacífico hasta el Atlántico (s. XVII-XVIII), Anuario de Estudios Americanos, 69, 1, enero-junio, 31-62, Sevilla (España), 2012. 6. Baena Zapatero, Alberto. Apuntes sobre la elaboración de biombos en la nueva España. Archivo español de arte, LXXXVIII, 350 April - June 2015, pp. 173-188. Provenance: - A palatial home in Extremadura. - Private collection, Madrid.