Mexican Art

1
Mexican Art
after 1521
2
Spanish Conquest

• Spain conquers Mexico 1519-1521
• Hernan Cortes leads troops to Mexico with Mayan
  and Aztec interpreters
• Targeted empire of Montezuma (not a stable place)
• Tricked Montezuma into thinking he was the god
  Quetzalcoatl.
• Took him hostage and tried to govern through
  himMontezuma killed in ensuing battle

3
Change in religion

• Mayan, Incan, and Aztec religions focused on many
  gods and sacrifices
• After Cortes conquers Mesoamerica, Spain brings
  Christianity to Mexico
• Mexico undergoes a Religious Reformation
• Art changes from folk art and representation of
  ancient cultures to Christian art

4
Enter the Christians

• 1522 Catholic churches and monasteries rise on
  the ruins of Aztec temples in Tenochtitlan
• 1524 First 12 friars arrive to begin converting
  indigenous population to Christianity
• 1525 Spanish destroy most indigenous paintings
  and documents

5
Lady of guadalupe

• In 1531, Juan Diego sees the Virgin Mary on a
  hill
• She asks him to build her an abby on the site
• Image becomes an icon to Mexico

6
Spanish Emigration

• 1535 produces the first viceroy (monarch),
  Antonio de Mendoza
• Several Spanish citizens emigrate to New Spain
• Spanish artists arrive to seek new ideas and
  creativity in a new land
• Rodrigo de Cifuentes (painter)
• Juan de Entrambas Aguas

7
1st School of Painting

• Established in Mexico City by friar Pedro de
  Gante
• Friars trained in art, using engravings,
  woodcuts, and paintings
• Relief sculptures are learned in order to carve
  on newly built cathedrals and monasteries
• Taught indigenous tribes to paint
• Knowledge is best conveyed and learned with
  pictures

8
Combination of Style

• Exhibits European style of plump body and face
  and curly hair
• Exhibits Indigenous qualities of god-like idol

9
COmbinations

• Indigenous woman making hot chocolate
• Woman looks more European than Mexican
• Clothing is more Europeanlong robes like friars

10
Mexico City Cathedral

• One of the largest cathedrals in western
  hemisphere

11
Mexican Cathedrals
Over 900 churches and monasteries are created
12
Silver Mines

• Silver Mines discovered in northern Mexico
• Mining towns are established and Mexico becomes
  the center of silver trading
• Art made of silver becomes popular

13
Silver Art

• Silver pendants depicting Christian meanings
  surface and become popular

14
Missions

• After 1600, many missions were built to convert
  population to Christianity and house new
  inhabitants
• Many people fled to southern Mexico to escape
  northern Mexico persecution

15
melchor perez de holguin

• Angels very popular to paint in New Spain
• Painted a series of the Four Evangelists for the
  painting school Monastery
• Often combined ideas of paganism with
  Christianitycharged with heresy

St. Michael Archangel
16
HolguinFour Evangelists
St Luke the Evangelist

• St Matthew the Evangelist

St John the Evangelist
St Mark the Evangelist