Japanese objects came through Mexico on their way to Spain, and had a lasting impact on the arts of the Americas.
Colonial Latin America
San Agustín de Acolman’s style suggests a protective function, and may have referenced the temple of Jerusalem, celebrating Mexico as a “New Jerusalem” where the Christian faith could flourish.
A new Jerusalem in the Americas—the convento ...
Find out what happens to classical Renaissance architecture when it arrives in New Spain.
Classical Architecture in Viceregal Mexico
Exploring the beginnings of Spanish missionary activities and spaces in Peru.
Introduction to religious art and architecture in ...
Once there was a color so valuable that emperors and conquistadors coveted it, and so did kings and cardinals. Artists went wild over it. Pirates ransacked ships for it.
The Bug That Had the World Seeing ...
Bernardo Bitti's painting at the Church of San Pedro in Lima shows that the Renaissance was a global event.
Bernardo Bitti, Coronation of the Virgin
A site of miraculous healing, the sanctuary in Congonhas has been filled with the prayers of pilgrims since the 18th century.
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos of ...
A short-lived Dutch colony produced art that sought to serve science but instead served racism.
Albert Eckhout, Series of eight figures
The Conceptionists were founded for elite, pure-blooded Spanish women. This nun just took her vows.
Crowned Nun Portrait of Sor María de ...
Ouro Preto was a remote yet cosmopolitan town where gold supported both artists and architects.
Church of São Francisco de Assis, Ouro ...
The beguiling—and tragic—story of the Carvajal family of crypto-Jews, is illuminated by the manuscripts Luis made.
The manuscripts of Luis de Carvajal
The original image of the Virgin of Guadalupe was miraculously produced—this mother-of-pearl version was man-made.
Miguel González, The Virgin of Guadalupe
A continuous narrative, this shows three different parts of the story, each in a different part of the landscape.
Baltasar de Echave Ibía, The Hermits
The Spanish reused the stones of pagan temples to build their new capital atop the Aztec city, Tenochtitlan.
New Spain, an introduction
This screen offers an idealized bird’s eye view of Mexico City on one side, and depicts the Conquest on the other.
Biombo with the Conquest of Mexico and ...
Both Europe and the Americas were forever changed by Columbus’ accidental landing in the Caribbean in 1492.
Introduction to the Spanish Viceroyalties in the ...
Cabrera fancied himself the Michelangelo of Mexico, but chose to borrow the format and iconography of Rubens.
Miguel Cabrera, Virgin of the Apocalypse
Guaman Poma’s hefty epistle detailed the abuses against indigenous peoples; he hoped for it to be printed in Spain.
Guaman Poma and The First New Chronicle ...
The convento atrium was a place for preaching. This cross taught new converts about Christianity.
Atrial Cross at Acolman
This remarkable object takes its subject from European prints, but was made by an Indigenous artist.
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