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Casta Paintings

Explore the origins and significance of Casta paintings defining race and gender relations in 18th-century Mexico, reflecting complex social dynamics and power structures. Learn how these artworks were used to maintain social hierarchy and control in Colonial New Spain.

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Casta Paintings

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  1. Casta Paintings Defining Race and Gender Relations in Colonial Latin America

  2. Origins of “Casta” • Casta is an Iberian word meaning “lineage”, “breed” or “race.” • It is derived from the older Latin word castus,“chaste”, implying that the lineage has been kept pure.

  3. Defining castas in Latin America • In the years following the conquest of the Americas, most people fell into three distinct ethnoracial categories: Nahuas(indigenous people), peninsular Spaniards, or Africans (both enslaved and free). • By the early 17th century, these categories broke down quickly and castas were being defined. Some estimates place the total number of castas in use in colonial Latin America at sixty or more.

  4. Casta paintings are part of the 18thcentury artistic tradition of Colonial Mexico. Thesegenerally appear in groups of sixteen portraits that trace the complex racial mixing or mestizajeof the people in New Spain. Each painting depicts a couple along with one or two children. An inscription describing the ethnoracialmake up of the mother, the father, and the child(ren) usually appears above the family. Casta Paintings

  5. Maintaining social and political control in Colonial New Spain Spaniards used their elaborate system of classification to maintain social and political control, allowing only the “pureblooded” to hold the top positions in colonial society.

  6. How to Analyze Casta Paintings What Do You See? What Do Observations Mean? Are the males & females doing similar or different things? Do actions depend on racial categories? Do clothing & environments change depending on race & class? • Who is in the painting? • What are they doing? • What are they wearing? • How does their environment look?

  7. #1 - Spaniard & Native Create Mestizo

  8. #2 - Spaniard & Mestiza Create Castiza

  9. #3 - African & Spaniard Create Mulatto

  10. #4 - Mestizo & Indian Create Coyote

  11. #5 - Mulatto & Spaniard Create Morisco

  12. #6 - Spaniard & Morisca Create Albino

  13. #7 - Spaniard & Albino Create Black-Return-Backwards

  14. #8 - African & Indian Create Wolf

  15. #9 - Wolf & Indian Create Zambaiga

  16. #10 – Zambaigo & Indian Create Albarazado

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