“Las tres razas” by Francisco Laso

Las tres razas is a painting that contains a biting and ironic commentary on the Republican egalitarian ideal. The scene depicts a card game between three children —indigenous, Afro-Peruvian, and white— whose hierarchical relationship, suggested by their clothing, is offset by the air of dignity assumed by the young girls. The image of the rosary of the indigenous girl marks an autobiographical reference. It is an allusion to the story of Manuquita, a young servant at Laso’s family home whom the artist mentioned in his writings.
Text: Ricardo Kusunoki y Luis Eduardo Wuffarden
Fuente: Majluf, Natalia [ed .]. (2015). Republican Art. Collection of the Lima Art Museum.