The Met: Conserving Cuzco School Paintings

Follow the conservation treatment and research of Emblem of Folly, a painting from colonial Cuzco. This is one of ten paintings in the Cuzco School style that were recently gifted to The Met as part of the Museum’s effort to collect works from colonial Latin America.

José Luis Lazarte Luna, Assistant Conservator in Paintings Conservation, who was born and raised in Lima, Peru, says that conservation can “shine a light on those communities or artists that have not had the focus before.” These paintings have many unknowns, from the identities of their Indigenous makers to the materials they used. Committed study of these works can help create a better understanding of Latinx cultural identity and history.