IMAGES IN MOTION: THE PAINTINGS INVENTORIES OF FOUR BISHOPS IN THE VICEROYALTY OF PERU (1653-1707)

Abstract

This article examines the inventories of paintings belonging to four bishops of the Viceroyalty of Peru: Pedro Ortega Sotomayor, Manuel de Mollinedo y Angulo, Juan Queipo de Llano and Luis Francisco Romero. These inventories, made before the bishops assumed their posts, stand out from other similar records as they were com- piled at a pivotal moment in the lives of these individuals –sometimes after a journey and always just before embarking on a new one to assume their new roles. A comparative analysis of the painting sections allows us to identify the unique characteristics of these registers and the bishops’ preferences and strategies in assembling their collection of paintings.