This work is an illustration by the Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias, possibly created in the latter part of World War II.

After Argentina's 1943 coup d'état, Juan Domingo Perón positioned himself as one of the most important leaders at the head of the Secretariat of Labour. From that position, he was able to transform social discontent into a political force that would later enable him to come to power. In the context of the Second World War, Perón's rise was interpreted by the Allies as direct interference by Hitler and Mussolini to improve their position in Latin America.

It is precisely in this context that Covarrubias painted this work. In it, Perón is depicted as a puppet, tied by strings to a control in the shape of a wooden Nazi swastika. In order to further the idea of a puppet, the artist also draws Perón's eyes with a striking lack of expressiveness. In his left hand, Perón's puppet holds a bloody sabre, which is intended as an appeal to violent repression and the use of military force during the dictatorship of which Perón was a member. Finally, it is also worth noting that the caricatures of the three medals shown on Perón's uniform are depictions of Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco, Adolf Hitler.

This illustration was not part of any publication at the time, but saw the light of day in an exhibition dedicated to Miguel Covarrubias in 2004 at the Harry Ransom Center in Austin, Texas.

Sources

• Nickolas Muray: An Inventory of His Collection of Mexican Art at the Harry Ransom Center
• Miguel Covarrubias. A Certain Clairvoyance