APAH - ART OF NEW SPAIN

Mexica

The indigenous people who settled in the Valley of Mexico and eventually established the city of Tenochtitlan.

Tenochtitlan

The capital city of the Mexica, founded around 1325 CE on an island in Lake Texcoco.

Huitzilopochtli

The Sun God of the Mexica who guided them to settle in Tenochtitlan.

Viceroy

A representative who ruled in the king of Spain's name in the colonies, particularly in New Spain.

Enconchado

An artistic technique used in colonial Mexico involving mother-of-pearl fragments applied to artwork to create a shimmer.

Casta Painting

A genre of painting in colonial Mexico that depicted the racial and social hierarchies formed through inter-ethnic mixing.

Codex Mendoza

An early colonial document commissioned by the viceroy of New Spain to record the history of the Mexica people.

Virgin of Guadalupe

A significant religious and cultural figure in Mexico, representing Mary and embodying the syncretism of Spanish and indigenous beliefs.

Arquebus

A firearm with a long barrel developed in the mid-fifteenth century, used by conquistadors.

Mestizo

A person of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry, a product of the inter-ethnic blending in colonial societies.

Templo Mayor

The main temple of the Mexica located in the center of Tenochtitlan, symbolizing their religious and political dominance.

Pinturas de castas

A series of casta paintings that illustrate the social and racial hierarchy in colonial Latin America.

Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz

A prominent feminist writer and nun in colonial Mexico, known for her intellectual contributions and poetic works.

Peninsulares

People born in Spain who settled in the Americas, considered the top tier in the colonial social hierarchy.

Creoles

Individuals of Spanish descent born in the Americas, often viewed as second in the colonial social hierarchy.

Mulattoes

Individuals of mixed African and European ancestry in colonial Latin America.

Codex

An ancient manuscript text in book form, particularly those relating to Mesoamerican cultures and history.

Sacred Precinct

The central ceremonial area in Tenochtitlan, primarily devoted to religious activities and temples.

Guns

Firearms introduced by Europeans which played a significant role in the military conquests in the New World.

Spanish Inquisition

A powerful institution established by the Spanish crown to enforce religious conformity, which also targeted depictions of angels.

Council of Trent

A key ecumenical council of the Catholic Church starting in 1545 that addressed church reforms and structured counter-reforms.

Angel with Arquebus

A famous painting depicting a stylized angel carrying a firearm, symbolizing the fusion of divine and military power.

Cultural Syncretism

The blending of indigenous and European cultures, particularly evident in religious practices and art in the New World.

Royal Audience

A type of court in the Spanish Empire where legal and administrative decisions were made at the local level.

Cultural Aristocracy

The elite class in colonial society often defined by their European lineage and cultural heritage.