Art and Identity in Colonial Mexico

Undergraduate

This lecture explores the art of colonial Mexico from the 16th through the 18th centuries, examining the role of art and architecture in forming a new colonial Mexican society and social identities. Through the course, we analyze the political and social forms that colonialism took in Mexico as well as the different historical experiences and forms of resistance it generated. By investigating a range of colonial artforms and media—including painted manuscripts, monastic architecture, featherworks, murals, portraits, religious icons, and imitation export art—we ask how colonial Mexican artists responded to and transformed Indigenous Mesoamerican artforms as well as artistic influences from Europe, Asia, and Africa. Through this inquiry, we ultimately ask what role art and architecture played in creating a colonial society as well as how artists, patrons, and viewers used art to construct and express identity under this new colonial order. HU 0 Course cr HTBA