Díaz, Emilio

Emilio Díaz, born in Arequipa in 1870, was a painter and photographer. He is the most internationally renowned portraitist from Arequipa at the turn of the 20th century, having been awarded a bronze medal at the 1900 Universal Exhibition in Paris. The quality of his work earned him the respect of civil and military authorities and endeared him to the great families and the wider public who visited his studio, favoring him over other photographers active in Arequipa. In his works, the combination of the pose, the handling of the intense Arequipa light in the studio, the grooming and attire of the model, and the backdrop are crucial, with many backdrops painted by Díaz himself.