Mariano Felipe Paz Soldán, Puerto de Huanchaco, 1865, Lithograph on Paper

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This finely hand-colored lithograph depicts Puerto de Huanchaco, the historic fishing and trading port located near Trujillo on Peru’s northern … Read more This finely hand-colored lithograph depicts Puerto de Huanchaco, the historic fishing and trading port located near Trujillo on Peru’s northern coast. It was published in 1865 as part of Mariano Felipe Paz Soldán’s landmark Atlas Geográfico del Perú, the first national atlas of Peru. Produced in Paris by the lithographers of Lemercier, the atlas combined maps, plans, and views to present a complete geographical and cultural portrait of the country. The scene captures a vivid view of daily life along the Huanchaco shoreline. In the foreground, men navigate the traditional caballitos de totora, reed fishing boats that have been used along the Peruvian coast for more than 3,000 years. A group of swimmers can be seen in the surf, while figures walk and gather along the sandy waterfront. To the left, boats and fishing gear lie along the shore, and on the right, a large colonial-style structure with a wooden jetty dominates the scene. The background shows the church and town buildings rising against the low coastal hills. This lithograph is not only an artistic representation of Huanchaco, but also an important historical document of Peru’s maritime traditions and architecture in the mid-19th century. Huanchaco later became famous as one of the birthplaces of Peruvian surf culture, a tradition that can be traced directly to the caballitos de totora shown here. For collectors of Latin American history and cartographic works, this print offers both documentary value and decorative appeal.

Condition report: Good condition overall. Some light foxing visible in the margins, typical of 19th-century paper. Image remains clean with fresh hand-coloring. Wide margins preserved, with plate mark visible. No folds.

Technique: Lithograph with original hand-coloring Maker: Mariano Felipe Paz Soldán, Paris, 1865 See less