SANTIAGO MATAMOROS
Cuzco, late 17^th Century
Oil on canvas
canvas size 44 3/4 x 36 1/4 inches; framed size 49 x 41 inches

This popular image from Cuzco, Peru shows St. James as the "Moor-Killer", a symbol of the triumph of the Christian hero (in this case, the Catholic Church) over the infidel. Santiago was a potent symbol in all the Spanish territories of the New World, spreading his umbrella of supernatural power and conversion over the indigenous populations.