Pedro de Osma Museum

The Osma family mansion in Barranco, built in the early twentieth century in a French style with gardens and stained glass, holds one of the best collections of viceregal art in Peru: Cusco school painting including large series on the life of the Virgin and the archangels in armour that are so characteristic of the Andean baroque, colonial silver, furniture, sculpture and a room of qeros - the painted wooden drinking vessels that continued to be made in Inca form well into the colonial period and carry scenes of both worlds. Recent additions include a gallery devoted to Andean and Amazonian art with pre-Columbian and later material. It is small, well presented, quiet, and in a district that makes it easy to combine with a walk. The house and gardens are as much a part of the visit as the collection.

Highlights

• The Cusco school - painting including archangel series and Marian cycles.
• The qeros - painted wooden vessels bridging Inca and colonial imagery.
• The silver - colonial Andean metalwork and religious objects.
• The mansion - an early twentieth-century house with gardens and stained glass.

When to go

Year-round. One to two hours. Closed Mondays. Quiet compared with the Larco, and easily combined with a walk around Barranco.

Before you go

Small - the collection is focused rather than comprehensive. Photography is restricted in the galleries. Signage is better in Spanish than English. Ticket price is high for the size.

Nearby

The Bridge of Sighs and Barranco square are a short walk; MAC Lima is nearby.

Key facts