The Liberator Army crossing through the Pisba paramo

One of the prevalent themes in Francisco Antonio Cano’s (1865-1935) works was History as a model of regional and national identities. 

The Liberator Army crossing through the Pisba paramo was finished in March of 1922. 

As its name indicates, it shows a scene set in the journey of the Republican Army through Pisba paramo between the 1st and 7th July of 1819.  

Paramos are ecosystems in the Andes Mountains’ highlands, above the forest line but below the snowline. They are cold and barren environments. 

Icy winds, hail, thick fog and rugged terrain were some of the obstacles that the troops faced. Most of them were from the eastern plains and were used to hot and humid weather. 

Peasants, many of them of indigenous origin, were in the Liberator Army. 

Enslaved people also participated against their will or in exchange for their freedom. 

Simón Bolívar stands in the center as the main character. He shows concern about his men amidst the hard march. 

However, the march goes on. 

This work was commissioned to Cano in 1919 by the Embellishment Society of Bogota and the Board for National Celebrations for the 100th anniversary of Colombia’s independence. 

Its original objective was to decorate the dining room in Quinta de Bolívar, which was officialized as a museum dedicated to Bolívar in 1922. It stayed that way until 1992. 

Currently it is preserved in the museum’s collections. 

After more than 100 years, this painting is an icon of Colombian art and a testimony of the narratives about the nation that were considered a paradigm in the first half of the 20th Century.