Casa Museo Joaquín López Antay
About This Museum
This isn't your typical museum; it's the vibrant, preserved home and workshop of Joaquín López Antay, the indigenous artisan who revolutionized Peruvian art by elevating retablos from folk craft to fine art. Stepping into his house in Ayacucho feels less like a curated visit and more like he's just stepped out for a moment, leaving behind the scent of cedar and the spirit of creation. The walls are alive with his intricate portable altarpieces, which burst with meticulously carved figures depicting everything from Andean village life to profound religious scenes. You're not just observing art here—you're standing in the very space where a national artistic legacy was born.
Collection Highlights
The heart of the collection is, of course, López Antay's own retablos, those beautifully complex dioramas housed in painted wooden boxes. Beyond these masterpieces, you'll find his personal tools, half-finished works that show his process, and a fascinating array of masks and other traditional artifacts that filled his creative world.
Visitor Information
It's a small, intimate place, so you don't need more than an hour to feel its magic. Just head to Cuzco 424 in Ayacucho—it's right in the historic center and easy to find. The atmosphere is wonderfully unpretentious, inviting you to linger and imagine the master at work.
Architecture & Building
Housed in a traditional colonial-era Ayacucho home, it features classic whitewashed walls, a heavy wooden door, and rooms that open onto a central courtyard, perfectly reflecting the humble yet profound environment where he lived and created.
Contact & Location
Address: Cuzco, Condormarca, Huamanguilla, Huanta, Ayacucho, Perú
Phone: +51 940 336 214
Website: Visit Website
