A Life Shaped by Scholarship and Spirit In the dusty streets of Piura, a young boy began his pursuit of beauty under the watchful eye of an American prisoner named Roberto Tiller. This unlikely beginning in Peru set the stage for a life that would eventually bridge the gap between the Americas and the great academies of Europe. By 1844, the young painter had moved to Lima, where he sought formal instruction from Ignacio Merino. His tal…