Winners and Losers: The Analysis of a Contemporary Tattoo in Light of Aby Warburg’s Work

In light of the ideas of Erwin Panofsky and Aby Warburg, this paper analyzes a contemporary tattoo by a Chilean artist. The image depicts a Spanish native on horseback destroying a Spanish conquistador. It is a reinterpretation of the classic figure of the apostle Saint James destroying his enemies of the faith. First, it was Saint James the Moor-slayer, then Saint James the Indian slayer. The formula, although inverted, is effective in showing the period’s interpretation of opposites confronting each other through violence, demonstrating that these images are visual constructions that emerge whenever there is an emotional climate that justifies them.