This is a portrait of Atahuallpa, the last king of the Incas of Peru.

Atahuallpa is shown as the rich and powerful ruler of the Inca Empire. But at the time this portrait was painted in the mid-18th century, Atahuallpa and his empire were no more. Both had been conquered in 1532 by Francisco Pissaro and a band of Spanish conquistadors.

Before Pissaro arrived, there was no portrait painting in Peru. Incan artists learned this style of painting from the Spanish, who used it to honor important people.