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La yunta

La yunta, also known as El trabajo or Los bueyes, is a 2.20-meter-tall bronze sculpture by Ismael Pozo Velit. It depicts a peasant working the land with two yoked oxen and a plow, reflecting an indigenist theme. The work was commissioned by the Chinese colony in Peru, together with Agustín Rivera’s Las llamas, as a gift to Lima for its fourth centenary. It was installed in the Paseo de la República in 1937, though later renovations caused it to lose its pedestal. Today, it is located in the Paseo de los Héroes Navales in Lima, Peru. On April 24, 2018, it was declared part of Peru’s National Cultural Heritage.

La yunta bronze sculpture of a man guiding two oxen on a lawn beside a patterned walkway.
La yunta, the bronze sculpture by Ismael Pozo, stands on a lawn in Lima.
November 2015 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The monument La yunta shows a male figure standing beside two yoked oxen on a tall pedestal.
La yunta monument featuring a man standing beside two yoked oxen on a multi-tiered pedestal.
1957 © Post of Peru · Public domain
Close-up of La Yunta bronze sculpture with a classical building and Peruvian flag in the background.
La Yunta in Lima, with the Palacio de Justicia visible behind it.
September 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
Close-up of La Yunta bronze statue showing the head and upper chest with a weathered surface.
The bronze sculpture La Yunta shown in a close-up against an overcast city backdrop.
September 2016 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
La yunta monument showing a seated man on a large horned bovine beside another bovine on a tiered pedestal.
La yunta depicted on a Peruvian postage stamp, showing a seated figure atop horned bovines on a tall pedestal.
1966 © Post of Peru · Public domain

Identification

TitleLa yunta
TypeSculpture
Alternative namesEl trabajo; Los bueyes

Creator

ArtistIsmael Pozo Velit

Materials

MaterialBronze

Physical characteristics

Height2.20 m

Location and ownership

Current locationPaseo de los Héroes Navales, Lima, Peru
Former locationPaseo de la República

History and restoration

Physical change over timeSubsequent renovations of the site caused it to lose its pedestal
Heritage designationDeclared Cultural Heritage of the Nation by the Ministry of Culture on 24 April 2018
Year emplaced at former location1937
Designation scopeThe sculptures of Paseo de los Héroes Navales, including La yunta

Iconography and meaning

Style or themeIndigenist motif
Depicted subjectA farmer working the land with two yoked oxen and a plow

Discovery and provenance

Commissioned byThe Chinese colony in Peru
Commission purposeGift to the city of Lima for its 400th anniversary of foundation
Commissioned withLas llamas by Agustín Rivera