Study Guide: Baroque and Spanish Colonies in America — Art and Culture

This study guide covers various artworks produced during the Spanish colonial period in the Americas, focusing on their form, artist, history, symbolism, and significance. The artworks mentioned are pivotal to understanding how colonialism, religion, and cultural identity influenced artistic production in the Americas. Additionally, the guide introduces key terms to help you better understand these artworks and their context.

1. Frontispiece of the Codex Mendoza

• Form: This is a painted manuscript that combines indigenous art styles with European artistic conventions.

• Artist: The identity of the artist is unknown, but it was likely created by Nahua artists under the direction of Spanish officials.

• History: Commissioned by Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza around 1541–1542, the Codex Mendoza was created to showcase the tribute system of the Aztec Empire, as well as important aspects of Aztec society.

• Symbolism: The frontispiece depicts a meeting between Aztec rulers and Spanish conquistadors. The imagery illustrates the juxtaposition of Aztec culture with Spanish colonial authority.

• Significance: The codex was created as a tool for understanding Aztec governance and tribute practices in the colonial context. It reflects the fusion of indigenous and Spanish artistic traditions and serves as an invaluable record of Aztec life before the fall of the empire.

2. Master of Calamarca, Angel with Arquebus, Asiel Timor Die

• Form: This is an oil painting with intricate detailing and vivid colors typical of Baroque style.

• Artist: The artist remains anonymous, but the work is attributed to the Master of Calamarca, an Andean artist active in the 17th century.

• History: This painting likely dates from the late 17th century and was part of a larger movement to combine Catholic iconography with local Andean traditions.

• Symbolism: The angel is shown holding an arquebus, a type of firearm introduced by the Spanish. This symbolizes the fusion of Spanish military power with religious and divine protection. The pose reflects both Andean and European influences.

• Significance: The work symbolizes the hybridization of European and indigenous beliefs. The angel represents both divine protection and the Spanish colonial authority that wielded force in the Andes. It marks the syncretism of Christianity with indigenous beliefs during the colonial period.

3. Circle of the González Family, Screen with the Siege of Belgrade and Screen with a Hunting Scene

• Form: These are large folding screens (biombo) painted with vivid scenes and intricate details. The biombo is a folding screen, often used as a room divider.

• Artist: Attributed to the González family, a group of artists from the viceroyalty of New Spain, this screen is likely a collaborative work.

• History: The screens date from the late 17th century and were created in Mexico, a site of considerable cultural exchange between Spanish and indigenous traditions.

• Symbolism: The Screen with the Siege of Belgrade depicts the Spanish army’s victory over the Ottoman Empire, symbolizing Spanish power and religious might. The Screen with a Hunting Scene reflects the European aristocratic practice of hunting, tying it to the colonial elite's lifestyle.

• Significance: These screens were status symbols in the colonial elite’s homes, showing the blending of European Baroque styles with indigenous Mexican artistry. The use of biombo reflects a unique fusion of Eastern, European, and New World influences in colonial art.

4. Miguel González, Virgin of Guadalupe

• Form: Oil on canvas with fine detailing, this work employs the technique of enconchados (iridescent shells embedded in the paint), which gives it a luminous quality.

• Artist: Miguel González was a renowned Mexican Baroque artist of the 17th century, known for his devotional works.

• History: The Virgin of Guadalupe is one of the most important religious images in Mexico, closely associated with the identity of Mexico as a Catholic nation. This particular piece dates from the late 17th century.

• Symbolism: The Virgin is shown surrounded by rays of light and cherubs, symbolizing her divine nature. The incorporation of enconchado reflects the merging of indigenous and European artistic techniques.

• Significance: The image of the Virgin of Guadalupe was crucial in the religious and cultural identity of New Spain. It helped establish the Virgin as a symbol of both indigenous devotion and Spanish Catholicism, reinforcing the colonial narrative of religious unity.

5. Attributed to Juan Rodríguez, Spaniard and Indian Produce a Mestizo

• Form: This is a casta painting, a genre of artwork that depicts the racial mixing between Spanish colonizers and indigenous peoples, categorizing the offspring into various racial groups.

• Artist: While often attributed to Juan Rodríguez, the artist's identity is uncertain, and many casta paintings were produced by various anonymous artists during the 18th century.

• History: Casta paintings became popular in 18th-century colonial Mexico as a way to categorize and visually represent the complex racial hierarchies of the time.

• Symbolism: The painting shows a Spanish man and an indigenous woman with their mestizo child, representing the concept of mestizaje (racial mixing). The painting aims to document and categorize the social and racial mix that was prevalent in colonial society.

• Significance: Casta paintings were used to categorize and control the racial groups that formed in the Spanish colonies. They reflect colonial anxieties about race and social order, while also highlighting the fluidity and complexity of racial identity during the colonial period.

Key Art Terms

• Biombo: A folding screen, often painted with elaborate scenes, that was commonly used in colonial Mexican homes as both a functional and decorative piece. It reflects the fusion of European and indigenous artistic traditions.

• Casta Paintings: Paintings that depict the racial mixtures between Europeans, Indigenous peoples, and Africans in the Spanish colonies. They often feature families to illustrate the different racial categories, reinforcing the social hierarchy imposed by colonialism.

• Enconchados: A technique used in Baroque Mexican art, where iridescent shells were embedded into paintings, giving them a luminous, shimmering effect. This technique was used in works like the Virgin of Guadalupe to reflect both European and indigenous craftsmanship.

• Escudo: The Spanish colonial coat of arms, often used in religious and civic iconography. The escudo symbolized the authority of the Spanish crown in the colonies and could be found in churches, government buildings, and artworks.

• Mestizo: A person of mixed European and indigenous ancestry. In the colonial context, the term reflected both a racial and social category in the complex caste system that existed in Spanish colonies.

• Viceroy: The highest-ranking official in the Spanish colonies, representing the Spanish crown. The viceroy was responsible for governing large territories, such as New Spain (Mexico) or Peru, and exerting control over the indigenous population, as well as overseeing colonial art and culture.

Conclusion

The artworks produced in Spanish colonial America are rich in history, symbolism, and significance. They reflect the intersection of indigenous and European cultures, as well as the complex social, racial, and religious dynamics of the colonial period. Through these works, we can better understand the colonial mindset, the role of the church, and the blending of cultures that defined the Spanish colonial experience.